Farragut gets ready to light up the holidays

Wendy SmithFarragut, The Farragut Insider

We love the holidays in Farragut. The Parks and Recreation Department enjoys all town of Farragut events, but the entire staff gets excited when they see the lights going up. (The Public Works Department is exhausted by November, since light installation begins in September, but even they enjoy the magic of flipping that switch.)

Town Administrator David Smoak is the biggest fan of Light the Park, which kicks off with Countdown to Light the Park on Nov. 22 and runs through Jan. 2.

“Light the Park is one of my favorite events and it just keeps getting better every year,” he says. “Creating memorable experiences for families is something we take great pride in and this event has definitely created wonderful memories for me and my family. We have some outstanding additions to this year’s Light the Park season and our goal is to expand its footprint every year as our resources allow.”

This year’s expansion includes new lights at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza, where there will also be an evening of carriage rides on Dec. 11. (In case you wonder, carriage ride slots were filled 25 minutes after they were listed on our reservation system!) Parks & Rec staff is also scheduling vendors, carolers and food trucks at Founders Park at Campbell Station each evening through Dec. 23. See the calendar here.

Light the Park is the first of several fun holiday events in Farragut, including two new ones. Celebrate the Season is a family favorite, but this year it has a new location and a slightly different format. It is 4:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Farragut Community Center (239 Jamestowne Blvd.), and will offer photos with Santa, cookie decorating and face painting. New this year is a holiday movie in the gym! As always, this event is free.

A new offering is ’Twas the Night With No Parents, an evening for kids only, from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17. This is an opportunity for parents to finish up last-minute shopping – or just have a relaxing night on the town. Kids from kindergarten to 5th grade will enjoy pizza, games, a craft and a movie for just $10 each.

Another new event is New Year’s at Noon, a fun way for parents to celebrate the arrival of 2022 with their kids at a reasonable hour. There will be dancing, snacks and child-friendly bubbly for just $2 per child. There is no charge for parents, who are required to attend with their children.

Sign up for both of these events at townoffarragut.org/register.

Brittany Spencer

The good news is that our wonderful special events and program coordinator Brittany Spencer is responsible for creating those last two events. The bad news is that Nov. 23 is Brittany’s last day with the town of Farragut. She has accepted a new job with city of Gatlinburg and we will miss her terribly.

For information about upcoming events, programs and classes offered by Farragut Parks & Rec, visit farragutparksandrec.org.

Town of Farragut marketing and public relations coordinator Wendy Smith is your reliable Farragut insider.

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