Christmas in the Park walking tour Nov. 22

Pigott Oil Co.’s Nancy McCain displays the $500 cash to be given away

This year’s annual Christmas in the Park walking tour, the one night of the year people are allowed to follow the lighted holiday trail on foot is Wednesday, Nov. 22.
As a bonus, Pigott Oil Co. and Market Max are giving away $500 cash during a drawing at the end of the night’s activity. Stop by the registration booth at the start of the tour and drop your name and phone number in the box.
In recent years the popular walking tour has attracted 5000-6000 viewers to the park to walk at their own pace, enjoying the “zillions” of colorful lights from a totally different perspective than one experiences during the drive-through tours.
Usually groups of walkers, including entire families or a gathering of close friends will tour the park.
Opening at 6 p.m., admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children.
Volunteers are posted throughout the park to keep walkers on the designated trail.
To enter the park for the walking tour, use the Hwy. 48 east entrance to events center for plenty of free parking, then enter the holiday light show at the gate near the kids’ playground.
“Take as much time as you wish. We can only do this one time a year, so take your time in walking through the park. There are benches and rest stops if you want to take a break during the tour,” a tour spokesman said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for kids offering a chance for parents to make photos. Bring your cell phones or cameras to take advantage of the many photo opportunities in the park. Hot chocolate and cookies are available to walkers for a donation; 3-D glasses are available for $1 and children can write a letter to Santa, putting it into a mailbox destined for the North Pole.
The long-running ng Christmas in the Park features a little over 40 acres covered by holiday lights and displays.
Following Wednesday’s walking tour, nightly drive through tours of the park begin Thanksgiving night going through New Year’s Eve. Enter at the Hwy. 198 gate at Magee’s Creek bridge for the driving tours. Admission is $5 per standard passenger car or truck, higher for commercial vans and buses.