A child admires the evening bonfire from a safe distance at the Airway Heights Winter Festival on Dec. 1.
Top: Young Airway Heights residents enjoy hot cocoa at the city's annual Winter Festival. Left: Carriage rides drew an impressive crowd.
Despite the chilly temperatures, dozens of Airway Heights residents bundled up and ventured outside for a community tree lighting as part of the Airway Heights Winter Festival on Saturday, Dec. 1, enjoying hot cocoa and huddling around a giant bonfire to stay warm.
The festival kicked off on Friday, Nov. 30 with popcorn and a film showing of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" at Sunset Elementary. The celebration continued on Saturday with a pancake breakfast and pictures with Santa in the morning at the Airway Heights Community Center and a winter story time with holiday crafts and face painting at the Airway Heights Library in the afternoon.
The evening events soon got underway at about 6 p.m., with residents enjoying a Christmas tree lighting in Sunset Park, along with carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides and a fireworks show to get their families into the holiday spirit.
"It's so cool that they do the carriage rides and hot chocolate and stuff," Deshun Burley, 11, said. He attended the event with his family and called it "lots of fun."
Savante Stringer, 8, joined his siblings for the night-time event and said his favorite part of the evening was being able to run and play in the open field adjacent to the bonfire.
All festival events were free of charge, with many accompanied by holiday music. The pancake breakfast was hosted by the Airway Heights Kiwanis Club, while pictures with Santa were sponsored by Yoke's Fresh Market.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at shannen@cheneyfreepress.com.
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