Festival of Lights has huge turnout

  • Festival of Lights ended with the lighted parade.
    Festival of Lights ended with the lighted parade.

    The annual Hallettsville Festival of Lights turned out to be a massive success. The Christmas spirit was alive and well as many gathered to celebrate 26 years of the event.

    The event kicked off at noon and entertainment for both kids and adults were provided. There were many vendors setting up shop bringing margaritas, food, and plenty of places to shop locally. About 3,000 people showed up.

    “Turnout was just as big as the previous year, but it was definitely crowded,” Vice President of the Festival of Lights Bobbie-Rae Burnes said. “The square was packed, and it was even hard to get the parade around because there were so many people standing. The weather was also perfect, so that always brings more out.”

    The bigger events started just before sundown. Folks gathered at the square to watch a live nativity production. Immediately afterwards, the lights in the courthouse shined in the night kicking off the holiday season. A lighted parade was then put on featuring floats from Hallettsville and the surrounding areas.

    “The Christmas spirit was definitely alive and well,” Burnes said. “It’s a family tradition, so whenever you’re walking around the festival you can see grandmas bringing their grandbabies. Even people I’ve gone to high school that have moved away to other towns still come back and they bring their kids back to show them what they grew up with. So, you can definitely see the spirit there that everyone is excited for the holiday season to start.”

    Sponsorships for the festival totaled some $12,000 to make the event possible.

    “We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers and our donors,” Burnes said. “We literally have a small army behind us every year. Local businesses donate and pitch in and all the different organizations help get the gears moving for this festival.”

    The Festival of Lights is already gearing up for next year. Those who want to be involved for the 2024 festival can check out their Facebook page. In January, a meeting will be posted on the Facebook page for those interested in being on the committee for Festival of Lights.

    Winners of the Festival of Lights parade are as follows:

    Commercial winners for the parade were:

    • First place: Peoples State Bank.

    • Second place: Walmart.

    • Third place: Steele Door Realty.

    Non-commercial winners were:

    • First place: Hope on the Farm 4-H.

    • Second place: Mardi Gras Christmas.

    • Third place: Sublime Baptist Church.

    Tractor, antiques, and classic ride winners were:

    • First place: 1923 Model T-Rice.

    • Second place: Albrecht Family and Friends.

    • Third place: Santa’s Toy Shop, Donald Mcafee.

    Chamber pageant winners were:

    • First place: Flatonia Chamber.

    • Second place: Yoakum Area Chamber.

    • Third place: Hallettsville Royal Court.