Published: November 27, 2008 08:07 pm      

Bluefield lights up for holidays

BLUEFIELD, Va. — In the moments before opening night of the 2008 edition of Bluefield’s popular Holiday of Lights, the line of cars was backed up from the entrance to Lotito Park, all the way up Stadium Drive to the Baker Insurance Co.

“We had Thanksgiving dinner, then we drove here and got in line,” David Carver of Lorton Lick Road, near Montcalm said. David, his wife Teresa, and their two children, Errick, 7, and Bethanie, 5, arrived at 5 p.m., and seemed content to enjoy each other’s company as they waited for Frances Wayland, a long time civic volunteer to join Robin Lefler and George Smalls, director and assistant director of the Bluefield Parks and Recreation Department, to throw the switch and open the 12th season of the holiday light show.

“We have been here every year since it opened,” Teresa Carver said. “We come twice a year — once on Thanksgiving and again on Christmas Eve. Those are the nights that it means the most to us.”

“How many more minutes do we have left now mommy?” Errick Carver asked. Errick said he liked the decorated tank and Bethanie said she liked the candy canes the most. After they toured this year’s light show, Bethanie Carver said: “It’s beautiful! It’s all beautiful!”

“They’ve added a lot of things this year,” David Carver said. “It’s all real pretty.”

Indeed, the park seemed lively and as fanciful as ever before with a huge traditional Christmas wreath, a carousel, a Nativity scene, an incredible castle, a train and even a cool pirate ship.

Nothing says Christmas like a sea serpent in the park,” one visitor said when leaving the park.

“I love to see the people in the cars and watch their reactions,” Tyler Easley said. Tyler and his mother, Kathy Easley have volunteered to watch the entrance booth and collect donations from the visitors as they leave. “One person said they came from Texas.”

“This is something we like to do as a family,” Kathy Easley said. “I don’t drag him along with me. He’s anxious to come.”

“I love the park,” Tyler Easley said. “You can play basketball, baseball, play on the swing set or wade in the creek — all fun stuff. From Thanksgiving until after Christmas, you can come here.”

This marks the second year that Kathy Easley and her son have volunteered to staff the booth. “People say they can’t believe that a small community like Bluefield can have a holiday light display as big as this one,” she said. “When people ask how much it is and I tell them it’s whatever kind of a donation they want to give, they can’t believe it.” On Thursday night, people donated nonperishable food to the Holiday of Lights effort.

Tom Hullett of Bluefield, Va., was walking through the park this fall and saw people working to install the lights. “I stopped, offered to help and I’ve been back here about every day getting ready for this,” he said. Hullett was looking mighty jolly as he waved to the visitors as they arrived and exited the park.

“It’s a lovely tradition,” Wayland said prior to flipping the switch. All of the lights seemed to come alive. Lefler said an average of 20,000 vehicles pass through the park per season.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com