Reading Recreation kids tour Christmas Village and learn about its founding
Nov. 29—Sonia Koziar's smile broadened Tuesday night as she welcomed the group of children from the Reading Recreation Commission's two centers to Koziar's Christmas Village.
Dressed in a faux-fur trimmed red corduroy skirt and jacket and swaddled in a red down vest, Koziar, owner of the holiday attraction, was ready to lead the kids on a personalized tour of the outdoor displays
But before heading out into the blustery cold, about 30 children and their chaperones gathered inside the village's recently built gift shop for a special presentation.
Koziar was called up front to be recognized with a community award, presented by TLC Fore, sponsor of the Rec centers' field trip.
The youth development organization uses golf and educational outings to teach life skills and other lessons.
This was the second year TLC sponsored the trip for the rec center kids.
"Last year we were privileged to be given a personal tour of Christmas Village by Miss Sonia," said Heather Boyer, program director for the recreation commission. "Sonia shared wonderful family stories about her father's vision of creating Christmas Village for families to enjoy.
Koziar was an amazing host, Boyer said, and told stories of her childhood and how she continues to carry on her fathers' legacy.
Koziar told the children why her father started the attraction and what motivates her to keep it going, said Tillman M. Sims III, a TLC founder and facilitator.
"She gave us the 'why,' " he said, "and that is part of what we are doing: Helping these kids to find their 'why' in life."
Her father started decorating the family farm in Jefferson Township in 1948.
"My parents just loved Christmas, and they start decorating for us kids," Koziar said, referring to herself and her three siblings. "It just kept growing and growing and growing."
Word spread and people began driving by to view the dazzling light display. Some parked their cars, knocked on the farmhouse door and asked permission to walk around, she said.
After a while, William Koziar began charging a dollar a car for parking and admission. The nominal fee helped defray the cost of the electric lights and power.
As Sonia Koziar, her two sisters and brother grew older, decorating the farm became a family project.
"We'd sit around the table and say 'what should we do?' " Koziar said. "And then we just kept adding and adding and adding and adding."
When she and her brother outgrew their toys, her doll and his pedal car went into one of the displays.
Koziar pointed out their childhood playthings to the group of kids Tuesday.
The tableaus exhibited in a repurposed chicken coop and later in custom-built structures are intentionally at a child's eye level, she said.
"That way the children can see them without having to be lifted up by an adult," Koziar said.
The many outdoor exhibits include hundreds of miniature lights, a tribute to U.S. military veterans, a replica covered bridge, and tableaus representing the North Pole post office, a toymaker's workshop and other fantasy scenes.
Her father's reward, Koziar said, was the joy seen in the faces of the children and adults who visited.
And that same joy is what keeps her motivated to continue the attraction, she told the kids.
"You heard how Miss Sonia found her purpose," Sims said. "So own who you are, have fun and embrace that."
