Ouabache celebrates Christmas in July with festive activities
By Kathy Schwartz
We love Christmas at Ouabache. So much so that we celebrate on July 22, a clear five months before the official holiday. We recognize that it is a way to include our visitors and campers without battling the sub-freezing temperatures of December.
Park naturalists Rose Nevil and Bret Dausch are busy planning the festivities.
“I love anything Christmas,” Dausch said. “The challenge is adjusting normal winter-type activities to the hot and humid weather of July.”
It will be interesting how the naturalists incorporate hot chocolate, icicles and snow into the festivities.
Activities will be centered at the Trials End Shelter beginning at 10 a.m. The celebration is open to everyone. Planned activities include a “snowball” toss, Christmas bingo, Christmas crafts and a Mushroom Christmas Story. Other activities will be added as the date gets closer.
Friends of Ouabache State Park will sponsor the event and be present to aid in the activities. There will be a table of items to purchase, and proceeds will go to the various activities and projects the Friends sponsor. Homemade wooden ornaments make great souvenirs to hang on the tree come December.
Campers are encouraged to decorate their sites, and judging will take place Saturday evening. It is a joyful experience as Christmas music is mingled with the crackling of the campfires.
Christmas in July is also the kickoff celebration for the Wonderland of Lights 2023. This year marks the 10th year the Friends have sponsored the December event that serves as the major fundraiser for the organization. Every night in December, Ouabache comes alive with colored lights galore, Campground A filled with displays and the unforgettable firetower music show.
This year’s show is dedicated to the founding members of the Friends of Ouabache, highlighting their efforts to organize the Friends group.
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