Great Parks launches new holiday event, Holiday in Lights organizers start petition
Great Parks will launch a new event, Holidays on the Farm, at Parky's Farm in Winton Woods and will no longer serve as the host for the Holiday in Lights drive-through light show at Sharon Woods.
In a release, Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks, said the new event will be about experiencing the season in nature.
Officials said the change comes as the agency focuses more on nature-based experiences.
"The amazing increase in park visitors the past couple of years has reinforced to us how much the community values the wellness benefits of exploring outdoor spaces. This gathering will be a great opportunity to recharge and reconnect with friends and family while rediscovering all the amazing sights at Parky's Farm in the winter," Palmeter said.
Officials said guests will experience the magic of the holiday season at Parky's Farm with events including a self-led exploration of lighted nature trails in the woods, hayrides, caroling music, meet-and-greets with Great Parks animals – and photos with Santa.
There will also be a beer garden and other food and drink options. Holidays on the Farm will take place from Nov. 17 to Dec. 23.
Rachel Messerschmitt, chief of guest experiences at Great Parks, said Holidays on the Farm will give families a warm holiday experience.
"It will give people the opportunity to slow down, reconnect with their family, with their neighbors, the community, their friends, and that important reconnection with nature," Messerschmitt said.
She said the event will be affordable and include many activities for families to enjoy.
"Our hope is we are creating new opportunities for new traditions for our communities," Messerschmitt said.
Holiday in Lights' organizers announced in a Facebook post they are heartbroken they couldn't secure Sharon Woods to host the annual 5K race and light show this year. The light show is built on over a mile of wooded roadway at the park.
"This holiday light show has been a Cincinnati tradition for over 31 years and the 5K for over 12 years," organizers wrote in a Facebook post. "This affordable family tradition is the only drive-through light show through the woods of a beautiful Hamilton County park with over a million lights and over 250 light displays. Sadly the community organizations that are beneficiaries of this event will be impacted as well."
A petition on Change.org has been created to save the event and has amassed over 1,000 signatures.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Great Parks launches new holiday event
