Santa taking train for visit to Winterville

By Jennifer L. Johnson
Published Friday, December 04, 2009


Santa Claus will make a stop in Winterville tonight.

Winterville's annual Christmas in the Park welcomes locals to a decorated Pittard Park from 6 to 8 p.m. today for free hot dogs, popcorn, hot cocoa and a visit from the man himself.

Winterville's holiday train will bring Santa down Church Street to Pittard Park at 6 p.m., where Santa will meet with children under the gazebo.

Public Works' Marla Getford will be driving the Marigold Express, a four-car and handmade caboose that was converted from an old airport luggage carrier and outfitted with school bus seats. The train is decorated with Christmas lights and reminds Getford of an amusement park ride.

"It's kind of hard to explain what it looks like," Getford said. "But in the dark - all lit up - it looks great."

The train will run continuously throughout the evening, and seats about 30 adults and children at a time. Last year, lines were 60 to 100 people long to take a free trip around the downtown square, according to Getford.

The train will run down North Church Street from the park and turn down Marigold Lane in front of the library, where event-goers can get off to participate in the grand opening of Front Porch Books.

The bookstore, which is operated by the Friends of the Winterville Library, will be raffling off tickets for Christmas gift baskets - $1 a ticket or $5 for six - with proceeds to benefit the library. The store also has planned a reading of a holiday story for children of all ages on the front porch at 6:15 p.m.

"We'll have free hot cider and goodies, and, of course, tons and tons of books for sale," said General Manager Ron Wetherbee.

Last year, Christmas in the Park drew about 800 people. Organizers are hoping the kickoff to the season of giving will inspire people to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. The city will have a box in the Pittard Park Pavilion to drop off donations during the event.
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Friday, December 04, 2009