A child gets ready to brave the snow slide at the Holiday Festival of Lights.<\/p>\n
FILE PHOTO<\/p>\n
A holiday tradition spanning nearly four decades in Cape Coral returns this weekend, bringing with it the feeling of the festive season for all.<\/p>\n
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral\u2019s \u201cHoliday Festival of Lights,\u201d titled sponsored by Incredible Bank, will hit Cape Coral Parkway this Saturday evening, with free attendance for all, young and young-at-heart alike.<\/p>\n
Beginning at 4 p.m. and running until 10, Cape Coral Parkway will be transformed into the Cape\u2019s version of a winter wonderland, featuring lights, visits from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a tree lighting, and even a snow slide.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to the Holiday Festival of Lights all year long,\u201d said Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral President\/CEO Donna Germain. \u201cEveryone knows what the first Saturday in December is, and you can feel the excitement building across Cape Coral. It\u2019s one of those events that truly belongs to the community \u2014 families plan their holiday season around it; businesses rally behind it, and hundreds of volunteers join us to create a magical evening for the community. Being able to carry on this tradition each year is an honor and a joy for the Chamber.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opening ceremony for the Holiday Festival of Lights takes place at 5:45, with Santa arriving for the official LCEC tree lighting at 6:15. The jolly couple will take to the Cape Coral Town Center (Big John\u2019s Plaza), and will be available for pictures immediately after the tree lighting until 9:45.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly rewarding to see the impact this event has on children and families,\u201d Germain said. \u201cSeeing children\u2019s faces light up when the tree shines, when Santa arrives, or when they get to play in the snow \u2014 those moments are priceless. That happiness is exactly why we do this. It reminds us that the simplest joys can create the most meaningful traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
This staple community event drums up the magic of the holidays locally as Southwest Florida and the country steps into the season full-swing. The Holiday Festival of Lights also features the Tiny Tots Train Ride, sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, at Vincennes Boulevard. There will be four holiday stages, sponsored by Gator Country, Mix 104.7, and Bob FM, with local entertainers and dance troupes performing throughout the evening. Candy Cane Park, sponsored by Gator Mike\u2019s Family Fun Park and Open Doors Preschool, is a free kids area with inflatables, live holiday performances, kids activities and more, located at the east end of the event adjacent to Wendy\u2019s.<\/p>\n
There will also be more than 70 food, craft, and business vendors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHoliday Festival of Lights is a tradition shared across generations, and for 45 years, the first Saturday in December has marked the moment when snow and Santa officially arrive in Cape Coral,\u201d Germain said. \u201cI am 47 years old, and remember performing at this event when I was in the fifth grade. The Tabor Family has donated their Thanksgiving weekend for decades to decorate our tree. Families have come downtown year after year to celebrate the season together, and many parents who attended as kids are now bringing their own children. It\u2019s not just a festival \u2014 it\u2019s a memory-maker that captures the heart of Cape Coral during the holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n
A highlight every year, the 15-ton snow slide, sponsored by Nissan of Cape Coral and The Extreme Companies, brings an aspect of the holiday season that Floridians seldom experience. Take a plunge down the slope, located adjacent to the Winn-Dixie parking lot along the Parkway, throughout the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most fun and unique parts of the night,\u201d Germain said. \u201cSnow in Southwest Florida is pure magic \u2014 it\u2019s something families don\u2019t get to experience here often, so it feels like a little holiday miracle. Watching kids sled, play, and laugh in the snow right here in Cape Coral is always a highlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Germain and the event\u2019s organizers, the evening is all about spreading holiday cheer, bringing a sense of community, and giving families and residents a memorable occasion they can look forward to each and every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope everyone leaves feeling more connected \u2014 to the season, to their loved ones, and to this community,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want people to experience joy, laughter, and a little bit of wonder, but also to be reminded of how strong Cape Coral is when we come together. This night is about celebrating what makes our city such a great place to live and do business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional major, supporting, and media sponsors for the event include: The Breeze Newspapers, Tabor Family,\u00a0 Waste Pro, Suncoast Beverage Sales, ACRA Electric, The News-Press, Lamar, The Cape Coral Sun, Fun 4 Fort Myers Kids, Creative Events-Taylor Rentals, Skyworks, Fox 4, the City of Cape Coral\/South Cape, SWFL Amusements, LLC, 1st Response Traffic Control, Cultural Park Theatre, Cape Coral Talk Radio, Horseman\u2019s Landscaping, Print 1 Group, LLC, Quantum Fiber, Tommy\u2019s Express Car Wash, Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Christ Lutheran Church, Florida Blue Center, Garage Door Works LLC, Powers & Rogers, PLLC, Preferred Care at Home of Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Renewal by Andersen, Solay Cape Coral Luxury Apartments, Sun Splash Waterpark, Williamson & Sons Marine Construction, and Xfinity (Comcast).<\/p>\n
Parking for the IncredibleBank Holiday Festival of Lights is on a first-come first-served basis in the public parking lots. Please be cautious of tow zones in the downtown area.<\/p>\n
Cape Coral Parkway from Del Prado Boulevard to Coronado Parkway will close at 5 a.m. on Dec. 6, and reopen at 2 a.m. on Dec. 7.<\/p>\n
Holiday Festival of Lights Highlights, Dec. 6<\/p>\n
\u2022 Santa\u2019s Arrival and Tree Lighting<\/p>\n
Santa will arrive at the South Cape Town Center (Big John\u2019s) at 6:15 p.m. to officially kick off Cape Coral\u2019s holiday season with the lighting of the Christmas Tree. Pictures with Santa will follow immediately after the lighting until 9:45 p.m. \u2014 Sponsored by Lee County Electric Cooperative <\/p>\n
\u2022 15 Ton Snow Slide <\/p>\n
Who says there is no snow in Florida? Not us! Next to Santa, the 15-Ton Snow Slide is one of the biggest attractions at the IncredibleBank Holiday Festival of Lights. Kids have a blast throughout the evening sliding down the slope located adjacent to the Winn-Dixie parking lot on Cape Coral Parkway. -Sponsored by Nissan of Cape Coral and The Extreme Companies <\/p>\n
\u2022 Tiny Tots Train Ride <\/p>\n
Free Tiny Tot\u2019s Train Ride on Vincennes Boulevard. \u2014 Sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral<\/p>\n
\u2022 Candy Cane Park FREE Kids Area <\/p>\n
Candy Cane Park offers fun for the whole family with inflatables, live holiday performances, kid\u2019s activities and more. The attraction is at the east end of the event adjacent to Wendy\u2019s. -Sponsored by Gator Mike\u2019s Family Fun Park<\/p>\n
\u2022 Four Holiday Stages <\/p>\n
The IncredibleBank Holiday Festival of Lights will feature four performance stages with local entertainers and dance troupes performing throughout the night. \u2014\u00a0Sponsored by Renda Broadcasting \u2013 Gator Country, Mix 104.7 and Bob FM<\/p>\n
For more information, visit\u00a0holidayfestivalcc.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A child gets ready to brave the snow slide at the Holiday Festival of Lights. FILE PHOTO A…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":70977,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-70976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}