WASHINGTON, Ark.-Step back to Christmas as it was during the 19th century at Historic Washington State Park for the 30th annual Christmas and Candlelight.
Held Saturday and then again on Dec. 10, Christmas and Candlelight brightens the town with hundreds upon hundreds of luminaries to add an old fashioned, festive flair to the park's pathways and historic buildings. Staff have worked hard this past week to prepare the luminaries and handmade decorations that will adorn this restoration village.
The park opens at 8 a.m. each day, but evening programming and tours start at 1 p.m. with luminaries lit at dark. Choirs and other musicians start performing at 5 p.m. and then the park closes at 8 p.m. The luminarias create a special ambiance once the sun goes down.
"We do 2,000 each weekend," said Shelia Little, the park's sales and marketing coordinator. You won't see electric light luminarias here; it's done the rustic, simple way with candles.
Added to the luminarias are the handmade decorations created with fruit, paper or greenery. "We started Monday and we'll make almost 300 fresh wreaths and swags," Little said. The wreaths and swags will decorate doors and buildings throughout the park.
"They'll have costumed guides there to greet you when you come in and get a tour of the place," Little said.
They strive to make decorations correct to the time period. There are many Christmas tours around the area, Little said, but they all feature electric decorations. Not so here. "This is something completely different," she said.
As long as it's not raining, horse-drawn surrey rides will transport visitors along the village streets. Christmas music will fill the park with seasonal sounds, too, whether it's from church choirs or other musical groups. A reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" can be savored at the Works Progress Administration Gymnasium.
All in all, Christmas and Candlelight promises to be something to help us all escape the hustle bustle of shopping, an event for the entire family.
"This is a way to stop all that and take a step back in time," Little said.
Also, at Williams' Tavern Restaurant, diners can enjoy a Christmas buffet, starting with turkey, dressing and similar holiday fare.
(Tickets: $10 for adults, $6 for children 6 to 12, free for kids under 6. More info: 870-983-2684 or [email protected]. Historic Washington State Park is located on U.S. Highway 278 nine miles north of Hope.)