Residents Invited to Winter Wonderland Wednesday Night

The  will become a  Wednesday night as the holiday season approaches.

The event, which has been in existence for over 20 years, features horse-drawn carriage rides, visits from Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and performances by the Rocky Hill High School Chamber Choir as well as the lighting of the town Christmas tree.

"The horse-drawn carriage rides are very, very popular," said Livia Jacobs, one of the organizers of the event.

The event will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and last year, 200 to 300 people visited .

An ice craver will create a holiday-themed sculpture to be displayed outside of the where it will remain until it melts.

Volunteers from Project Graduation will be selling food, holiday movies will be shown and a candy cane hunt for children under the age of eight will be held. Arts and crafts are also available for children.

Miss Hartford County Outstanding Teen Krystiana Bouchard will be collecting blankets for the patients at the Infusion Center at Mandell Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai. The blankets will be used to keep patients warm after being treated by infusion. Anyone who would wants to donate a blanket but cannot attend Winter Wonderland should email tinksilverbug@yahoo.com.

The Miss Hartford County/Rocky Hill Pageant titleholders will be collecting new and unwrapped toys for the "Toys for Tots" charity as well.

Organizers moved from to the last year. The ground at  was often muddy and people had a difficult time walking around at times, Jacobs said. The offers the convenience of bathrooms and heat, however, the bonfire had to be discontinued at the new location, she added.

"It's free, it's fun and it's a good time," Jacobs said.

For more information about the event, please call the Parks and Recreation office at 860-258-2772 or visit their website.