Winter Lights in Park brightens Adams Township
ADAMS TWP — The township’s Winter Lights in the Park premiered this weekend with a visit from Santa Claus, carolers, Girl Scouts, bonfires and fireworks.
“I walked here,” said Adams Township resident Bev Weston, who was one of the first to arrive at the community park on Friday, Dec. 9. “ I’d gotten a message on my phone about it, and I thought, ‘My goodness, I’m going to that!’”
For the last two years, the event was limited by COVID-19 protocols. This year, following the opening Friday and photographs with Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 10, the park will continue to be decorated with lights.
“We’ve driven through before, my husband and I, but this is such a wonderful night to walk here,” Weston said. “It’s beautiful.”
Weston was in good company. Residents gathered around the bonfires in the growing dark to toast s’mores, chatted over hot chocolate and lined up to visit Santa Claus.
“I am so excited to be here,” Santa said. “I’m going to be here tonight and tomorrow night.”
On Dec. 10, the township will be hosting professional pictures with Santa in the park’s schoolhouse. Registration was requested but walk-ins are still welcome.
For the Friday’s event, visits with Santa were unscripted.
“People are going to come up here and take pictures with their phones,” said Santa, seated in front of the schoolhouse. “It’s kind of like a ‘Selfies with Santa’, if you will, so it’s a lot of fun.”
To assist him, Santa called on four elves from Mars High School’s National Honor Society: Sparkles, Cutesy, Chippy and Happy.
“I’m part of NHS and I love Christmas,” said student Emma “Sparkles” Bostedo, “so I thought this would be a really good way to get my hours for volunteering.”
Student Nora “Cutesy” Solich explained that the honors society had done similar events for Easter celebrations in the township. The success of these events inspired the group to attend Winter Lights in the Park.
“I’m going to be honest, I need the volunteer hours,” student Adam “Chippy” Rohrbaugh explained, laughing, “but it turns out it’s a fantastic time. It’s a great event — seeing the community come out."
Student Lily “Happy” Goodworth is an applicant for Mars’ National Honor Society, and was impressed by the scale of the event.
“Putting all those lights up, it looks like it takes a lot of effort and time,” Lily said. “That’s my favorite part.”
According to the township’s parks and recreation director, Haley Zaliponi, lights started going up for the event in October.
“We keep making it bigger and bigger each year,” Zaliponi said. “We tried to theme it this year.”
The lights’ themes span a number of holiday classics: the Grinch and Whoville, Classic Christmas, Blue Christmas and a candy forest.
“We have Girl Scouts selling cookies in the Rotary Pavilion,” Zaliponi said. “The local Mars School District High School Chorus is singing carols, and the fireworks start at 8 o’ clock.”
Zaliponi also emphasized that the event would not end after this weekend.
“The holiday lights are on every night until Jan. 6, at dusk,” Zaliponi said.
During this time, the township also will be collecting nonperishable food items for the Lighthouse Foundation, based in Middlesex Township, as well as letters for Santa. Drop-boxes for both stand outside the township’s municipal building.
The event really did start with a bang as fireworks streaked the sky.
“I like how everyone comes together,” Emma said. “Everything is really pretty.”
