Elizabeth Miri | The Monarch Ranger
Heritage Oak Tree lit up at the Cedar Park Light Festival. Image Credit: Elizabeth Miri, Editor-in-Chief The Monarch Ranger
CEDAR PARK, TEXAS – On the second day of December, residents of Cedar Park came together to kick off the Christmas season with their annual light festival. At the center of the festival, everyone gathered around the oldest tree in the city. It had been wrapped top to bottom with thousands of lights. Everyone counted down and cheered as the night was suddenly lit by thousands of twinkling white lights.
Image Credit: Elizabeth Miri, Editor-in-Chief The Monarch Ranger
Once the tree was lit, everyone dispersed to explore the other activities the festival had to offer. There were bouncy houses, a snow slide, and even an opportunity to take a picture with Santa for all the little ones. Food trucks and vendors lined the west side of the park with delicious food like lobster rolls and tacos, as well as tasty treats like custard and bundt cakes.
"We never miss it. I think this is fourteen years now."
- Kevin, Cedar Park Resident
There were also many festive song and dance performances by students at Cedar Park High School and adults from dance studios like Artbeat Dance Center. The celebration continued late into the night. Everywhere you looked, there was joy and laughter to be found.
Dance performance by students at the Light Festival. Image Credit: Elizabeth Miri, Editor-in-Chief The Monarch Ranger
Brenna Kuhn, owner and director of Artbeat dance center, told The Monarch Ranger that “We just love doing community outreach events, and getting out and helping people celebrate the holidays!” She also told us why this festival means so much to her, saying that “it’s always a blast and it’s so great to see people get together and just have fun and not be the crazy rush around town and shopping and crazy and cranky, but just celebrating.”
Patrick Rearon, a student at Cedar Park High performed festive songs along with many others at the festival. After the performance, his friend Lucas told The Monarch Ranger that "My favorite part [of the festival] has been hearing my friend sing.'' Watch one performance of Hark the Herald Angels Sing by the Cedar Park High School Choir below.
Cedar Park High School Caroling Group at the Light Festival performing Hark the Harold Angels Sing. Video Credit: Elizabeth Miri, Editor-in-Chief The Monarch Ranger
At first glance, the festival appears to be just a fun night with food and activities. To the people of Cedar Park, it is much more than that. It was a time to come together as a community and celebrate the Christmas spirit.
"It’s a symbol of the holiday season for us.”
- Jen, Cedar Park Resident
Kevin told us that this festival is “a little family tradition” saying that “this is like the kicking off of the holiday season for our house. We never miss it. I think this is fourteen years now.” He feels that “it’s beautiful and it’s great to be a part of [the] Cedar Park local community [and] it still feels like a small town.”
Resident Jen told The Monarch Ranger that she and her daughter Cora are regulars at the festival. She told us that “we like the tree lighting. We can walk here and have been coming for 15 years. It’s a family tradition.” She also commented that “we can see the tree from our driveway, and so we just love it. It’s a symbol of the holiday season for us.”
For some residents it was their first time attending the festival. New residents David & Ester told The Monarch Ranger that they had just moved to Cedar Park two months ago from Germany. They brought their daughters to the festival because they wanted “to get to know this experience.”
This festival is one example of how Cedar Park comes together to celebrate. Comment below with what your communities do to celebrate together!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND LEARN MORE
Thank you to those who kindly gave of their time to The Monarch Ranger through interviews at the festival. Learn more about Cedar Park and this event by visiting their website here. Merry Christmas!
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