Tree lighting kicks off holiday season in Groves
Published 8:42 pm Friday, December 4, 2015
- Members of the Groves Elementary School Treble tribe Choir perform during Christmas events at Celebration Park in Groves on Friday. Marty Meaux/The News
GROVES — The holiday season has officially arrived with the lighting of the Christmas tree at Groves’ Celebration Park on Friday.
Seasonal tunes courtesy of Chaston Miller and BC Brass helped get the crowd into the holiday spirit before Groves Elementary School Treble Tribe Choir performed from the decorated gazebo.
Austin Carter, 4, visits with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus during Christmas events at Celebration Park in Groves on Friday.
Marty Meaux/The News
Members of the Groves Beautification Committee decked out the park with lights and decorations adding to the festive atmosphere of the evening.
Matthew Tipton, 5, left, Olivia Mitchell, 6, and Sally Robles, 8, make holiday decorations during An Old Fashioned Christmas in Groves on Lincoln Avenue on Friday.
Mary Meaux/The News
Don Sodman, committee member, said this is the eighth year for the tree lighting ceremony and the fourth year for the Old Fashioned Christmas in Groves which followed the tree lighting on Lincoln Avenue.
“When we light the Groves tree we’re kicking off the Christmas season,” Sodman said.
Groves Mayor Pro Tem Karen Theis, center, lights the city Christmas tree kicking off the holiday season in the city at Celebration Park on Friday.
Mary Meaux/The News
Groves Mayor Pro Tem Karen Theis flipped the switch, lighting the giant tree amid oohs and ahhs from the families in attendance.
Sandra Rios, left, poses with nieces Giselle Esquivel, 6, and Marlene Guandique, 4, during Christmas events at Celebration Park in Groves on Friday.
Mary Meaux/The News
Paola Elizalde brought along her daughter Marlene Guandique, 4, and relatives Sandra Rioz and Giselle Esquivel, 6.
“This is our first time to come to this,” Elizalde said. “It’s really, really pretty.”
Holiday decorations at Celebration Park in Groves.
Mary Meaux/The News
Bruce Tipton of Groves made the event a family affair.
“This is a good way to kick off the holiday season and get into the spirit of Christmas,” Tipton said.
Families strolled Lincoln Avenue while children made holiday decorations, visited with Santa and Mrs. Claus and grabbed some hot cocoa and snacks. Shops along the avenue opened their doors to holiday shoppers as well.
E-mail: mary.meaux@panews.com
Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews
