By Beth Habacker
The spirit of Christmas was alive and well at the Sugar Hill Tree Lighting & Festival last Saturday at the Dawn P. Gober Community Plaza. The event offered photos with Santa, carriage rides, a snow play area, performances and more. Food trucks lined the street, offering delicious food and warm beverages to festival goers while beautiful lights and decorations illuminated the area. The sounds of music and laughter came from families enjoying themselves at the ice skating rink while waiting for the lighting of the Christmas tree.
Ashka Patel and Spencer Hill helped children decorate Christmas cookies while other members of the Sugar Hill Youth Ambassadors manned a “Letters to Santa” station and an Elf Fortune Telling Booth. The proceeds for the activities went to benefit the youth council.
Amongst the children playing in the snow, Jade Lawson was engaging in a snowball fight with friends while others made snow angels. Pauline Vuong sat with her family as they enjoyed the warmth of the fire pit while watching the festivities. A cheerful elf entertained families with tricks, jokes, props, and bubbles that made the wait for Santa even more exciting.
Across the way, there was a Holiday Market set up with vendors selling everything from books and jewelry to handmade crafts. Several attendees left with beautifully wrapped gifts.
Several attendees enjoyed watching shows in The Bowl. Performances by Sugar Hill Elementary Choir, Sugar HIll Church band, and the Broad Street Concert Band kept guests entertained with music and the All Stars Dance Academy finished the evening with a fantastic performance of “The Nutcracker.”
Sugar Hill kicked of the holiday season in a wonderful way, definitely bringing joy and cheer to all who attended the festival.
