Light Up The Season celebrates 20 years of holiday magic

After a pandemic hiatus, Loyalist Township’s annual Light Up The Season event returns to Fairfield House. The holiday tradition includes tree lighting and other fun activities on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

This year marks the 20th edition of this “beloved community event,” according to a release from Loyalist Township. This kickoff event for the holiday season will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at Fairfield House, 4574 Bath Road, Amherstview.

According to the release, the event will include wagon rides, cookies and hot chocolate, live music, ornament-making to decorate the community tree, and a visit from some special holiday helpers. Loyalist Township is encouraging guests to park at the W.J. Henderson Recreation Centre and catch the shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes. The shuttle service will begin at 2:45 p.m. Trees will be adorned with lights, which will be turned on for the first time on at Light up the Season and will be lit nightly until February 10, 2023.

Loyalist Township said that all activities will be free of charge thanks to the generous support of sponsors, including Ontario Power Generation.

“We are pleased to support the Loyalist Township Light Up the Season in 2022. This event has become a holiday tradition for the local community that everyone has the opportunity come out and enjoy,” said Mark Armstrong, Director of Operations at the Lennox Generating Station.

Twenty years ago, a local community group came up with the idea of decorating two little trees at the Fairfield House, one with white lights and the other with coloured, the Township shared. With lots of helping hands, this idea grew into Light Up the Season, an event for the entire community to gather and enjoy an evening of old-fashioned holiday spirit.

In addition to Light up the Season, Loyalist Township will install Community Trees at four additional Heritage locations throughout Loyalist Township. Schools, families, and organizations are invited to make decorations and add them to the trees, according to the release. Trees are on the front steps of the Bath Museum, Fairfield-Gutzeit House, Babcock Mill, and Neilson Store Museum.

“We hope residents enjoy visiting these sites throughout December,” organizers said, noting that ornament supply kits will be available for pickup at the Municipal office in Odessa, W.J. Henderson in Amherstview and the Neilson Store Museum on Amherst Island.

For more information visit www.loyalist.ca/events