Windsor has plans to hold Christmas at the Park from November 30 through December 31, 2024. This annual lighted Christmas event has have been held in Farrington Park since 2002 when the Windsor FFA under the sponsorship of Kevin Gnuschke displayed a large life-size Christmas display.
An organization of Friends of the Park and volunteer organizations added displays for what was called “Christmas in the Park.” Carl Keller, Wayne Gardner, and several other volunteers constructed plywood and metal lighted displays which added to the number of Christmas displays. Individuals and organizations also began setting up lighted displays on botj sides of the park, and visitors looked forward to driving through the park between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
Twenty years later, many of the original Friends of the Park and volunteers were no longer available to refurbish and maintain the large displays or to perform the daily chores of running “Christmas in the Park.” Friends of the Park and the six participating volunteer organizations made the decision to discontinue Christmas in the Park in 2023; but Bernice Aldridge and a few volunteers stepped up and offered on a voluntarily basis a smaller version of Christmas in the Park in 2023.
Plans are currently under way to continue Christmas at the Park for 2024. Austin Cannon, Nick Foreman, and Chris Andreasen are planning a new Not-For-Profit organization, Windsor Holiday Collective Inc., to help raise funds for maintaining and upgrading the Christmas lighting displays at the Park.
Christmas at the Park will open following the Moonlight Madness Parade on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Individual and organizations will have their lighted displays on the caretaker side of the park, while the bigger Park displays and sponsored displays will be placed on the north side of the lake (near the Rock Island Trail).
The Christmas at the Park lighted displays will be open to the public from 6-9 p.m. (Sun.-Thurs.) and 6-10 p.m. (Sat.) from Nov. 30 through Dec. 31, 2024.
Austin Cannon’s group plans to have setup beginning within the next week or so, and they will be creating a Facebook page to showcase businesses and to provide details on setting up and tearing down. Individuals or organizations wishing information about Christmas at the Park or wanting to register for a display spot may phone (660) 620-8301 or email: austin@guardian.us.
