{"id":77699,"date":"2025-12-10T00:06:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/77699\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T00:06:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T00:06:10","slug":"holiday-festival-of-lights-kicks-off-the-holiday-season-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/77699\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Festival of Lights kicks off the holiday season"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Cayden Decker glides down a Southwest Florida snow slide at Saturday’s Festival\u00a0of Lights.<\/p>\n

By CASEY BRADLEY GENT<\/p>\n

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The Nazario family, from left rear, Javier, Elsee, Randee and Nicholas, are all smiles as they begin their annual ride on the Tiny Tots Train Ride at the Holiday Festival of Lights held in the South Cape Saturday.<\/p>\n

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Jream Battles, 3, is dressed sharply like a Christmas elf. She stands before one of the numerous booths lining Cape Coral Parkway for the Holiday Festival of Lights held in the South Cape Saturday.<\/p>\n

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Kiwanis volunteers from left, Alivia Neumann, Meljeana Pierre and Sarah Varahona, hand out free stuffed animals at the Holiday Festival of Lights celebration in the South Cape Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

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Sydnee Saalmuller, far right, smiles with her dance team from Dance Dimensions. The troupe performed at Saturday’s Holiday Festival of Lights, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral and title-sponsored by IncredibleBank.<\/p>\n

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Nick Decker, with his 4-year-old son Cayden, focuses on their sled ride\u00a0down a Cape snow slide at the Holiday Festival of Lights held in the South Cape Saturday\n<\/p>\n

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The free Tiny Tots Train Ride that had people lining up for a lift well before dark. <\/p>\n

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Holiday celebrants by the thousands filled the heart of the South Cape Saturday to take part in a tradition approaching its 40th year \u2014\u00a0the Holiday Festival of Lights.<\/p>\n

Organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral and title-sponsored again by IncredibleBank, the street festival along Cape Coral Parkway offered a hometown party replete with street vendors, live entertainment, snow-covered hills for sledding, a grand tree lighting and face time \u2014 and photos \u2014 with Santa.<\/p>\n

The most popular attraction for younger attendees was, once again, the sledding hill, featuring 15 tons of the cold stuff.<\/p>\n

Sarah Decker, now a mom to three, said she hadn\u2019t been to the Festival of Lights since she was little girl, but remembered the sledding hill as her favorite part of the event. <\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the snow sledding,\u201d Decker reminisced. <\/p>\n

She watched her husband, Nick, race down the manmade hill holding the couple\u2019s 4-year-old son, Cayden. Both father and child smiled wildly. <\/p>\n

\u201cTonight,\u201d Decker added, \u201cI told my kids we should start doing this every year!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Decker was among those now bringing the next generation of Cape kids to an event remembered fondly. <\/p>\n

Another staple of the Festival of Lights is the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral.<\/p>\n

Once again the group sponsored the free Tiny Tots Train Ride that had people lining up for a lift well before dark. <\/p>\n

Randee Nazario ducked her head before climbing into one of the train\u2019s tiny seats along with her son, Nicholas. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe come to the event every year,\u201d Nazario said. \u201cMy son just wants to come to ride this train.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nicholas Nazario sat next to his mom and listened for the conductor to call, \u201cAll Aboard!\u201d <\/p>\n

The conductor drove in loops and zigzags along the side streets. Once the ride began, Nicholas\u2019s brother Javier\u2019s entire expression was alive. His grin never faded.<\/p>\n

Along with sponsoring the train ride, Kiwanis volunteers handed out free stuffed animals. <\/p>\n

Sarah Varahona is a freshman at Cape Coral High School. She and two of her friends worked the giveaway booth. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf I have spare time, I like to volunteer with Kiwanis,\u201d Varahona said. <\/p>\n

The booth was buzzing with kids who came to select a free stuffie. Varahona held up several options for each child, until the recipient found the perfect selection to keep. <\/p>\n

Adjacent to the Kiwanis booth, a portion of the roadway was roped off to form a stage, one of four featuring entertainment this year.<\/p>\n

Dance Dimensions was among groups that performed in front of the growing crowd. <\/p>\n

Each of the dancers wore glitter on her cheeks, and big speakers played familiar Christmas songs while the troupe danced in the street. <\/p>\n

Festive food added to the night\u2019s holiday mood. <\/p>\n

Funnel cake perfume filled the air and multiple boys ran in and out of the crowd carrying pink cotton candy. <\/p>\n

And what Holiday Festival of Lights would be a festival without lights \u2014\u00a0and Santa?<\/p>\n

Santa arrived at the South Cape Town Center \u2014 Big John\u2019s to Cape pioneers \u2014\u00a0to officially kick off Cape Coral\u2019s holiday season with the lighting of the Christmas Tree. <\/p>\n

Pictures with Santa followed.<\/p>\n


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