BOMA view Pinchok
Town’s ‘be safe’ holiday work praised
This article is not easy to write. We are living in very uncertain and troubling times. Almost everything in our lives has changed. I have been very fortunate in that my family has so far escaped the hardships of COVID-19. We have tried our best to social distance, wear masks and are being very selective and vigilant in our activities. With the recent upswing in the coronavirus numbers, we can’t let our guard down.
So how can we approach this holiday season and celebrate more safely? Farragut has some good news. If you haven’t already noticed, we have added many more lights this year to our Light the Park event. This event will spread out between Founders Park and the Campbell Station Inn, which is the home of the new Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza, located at the corner of Campbell Station Road and Kingston Pike.
There will also be lights at our community center located at the corner of Jamestowne Boulevard and Campbell Station Road. The idea is for families to park at one of these three Town properties and walk to view the lights at each location while maintaining social distancing. There will also be a few trees and digital signage about Light the Park at the Town’s commuter lot near the Campbell Station Road exit off I-40/75. We know that this wonderful display is a growing tourism draw.
In addition to the expansion of lights, additional signage and security will be provided. We hope this will be an opportunity for you to bring visiting family and friends to our Town and enjoy the beautiful displays of lights. The lights will continue through Sunday, Jan. 3. Since we will not have our annual Celebrate the Season activity at Town Hall this year, many of the activities will take place at Founders Park.
There will be an array of socially-distant activities and giveaways, including storybook trails, caroling, grab-and-go craft kits, snacks and candy canes. We will also have our mailbox set up for Letters to Santa. Restrooms at both Founders Park and the McGill Plaza will be open nightly until 10 p.m.
Funding for the expansion of the Light the Park event has been provided through the Tennessee CARES Act for Tourism.
I do want to recognize Public Works director Bud McKelvey and his staff for all of the work they have put in over the past two months to install all of the lights and equipment.
I also want to recognize our Parks & Recreation director Sue Stuhl and her staff for co-coordinating all of the programs and activities, including our Tourism coordinator Karen Tindal for her work in coordinating the funding and extensive advertising for Light the Park. These people have worked very hard to put together festive activities for all to enjoy in a safe and friendly environment.
Please accept this invitation to join us in these community celebrations, which I hope will provide excitement and joy for the whole family during this holiday season. Stay safe!
