Carmen Rodgers
Elmore Autauga News
The City of Wetumpka ushered in the Christmas season with a tree lighting and A Dickens Christmas Friday, Dec. 3. Mayor Jerry Willis welcomed everyone who attended the tree lighting that was held in front of the old Wetumpka City Hall.
Before lighting the tree, Mayor Willis recognized members of the city council who were in attendance including Kevin Robins, Cheryl Tucker, Lynnes Justiss, Steve Gantt, and Joe Brown.
“This is the best group that I’ve ever been able to work with,” Willis said. “This is a great group of people. They want the best for Wetumpka. That’s what we all want, and that’s what you want.”
Willis expressed his gratitude to the Wetumpka City Council and wished them a Merry Christmas.
Mayor Willis also recognized this year’s Miss Christmas on the Coosa Pageant winners. Tiny Miss Christmas on the Coosa Aubrie Walker, Petite Little Miss Christmas on the Coosa Henley Easterling, Little Miss Christmas on the Coosa Khole Price, Junior Miss Christmas on the Coosa Carli Smith, Teen Miss Christmas on the Coosa Lillian Gober, and Miss Christmas on the Coosa Lamonia Smith were all introduced before the tree lighting.
Willis also explained that while the streets of downtown were closed to traffic during Friday night’s event, the road work that has been underway for months now is final at completion.
“There’s a lot of excitement here in Wetumpka. We are just so overjoyed to enter into this Christmas season and finish the project that we had going downtown, it seems like 10 years. The streets will be open, you’re going to be able to travel around Wetumpka without dodging all those barrels and all that,” Willis said. “The streets are going to be open after this event tonight,” Willis said. “Tomorrow you will be able to drive back and forth through town.”
The streets downtown were closed Saturday, Dec. 4, for the second night of A Dickens Christmas.
Wetumpka High Coach Tim Perry will be the Grand Marshall during next week’s Christmas parade, which begins at 6 p.m.
“He came to Wetumpka as the football coach at Wetumpka High School,” Willis said. “This gentleman has made a difference in Wetumpka. He’s made a difference in so many young people’s lives here in Wetumpka, and he’s decided to retire.”
After Coach Perry was recognized, the Wetumpka High School Choir performed, Tis the Season and Oh Christmas Tree.
There were people from Wetumpka and surrounding areas, and there were some who made the Christmas Tree Lighting and A Dickens Christmas a holiday destination.
Bonnie Daniel and CJ Ackart made Wetumpka were some of those who made the holiday trip. “We were here this summer when the camera crew was doing the revisit and we were told about this then,” Daniel said. “We decided, why not come back and go all out with the costumes and all.”
Daniel and Ackart, who were staying in town for the two-day event, attended dressed in full Victorian attire for the Dickens Christmas. “It took me months to get these costumes together,” Daniel said.
Downtown businesses were also in costume, and a horse and carriage was the primary mode of transportation through the streets.
There was also live entertainment, and in front of the Elmore County Courthouse, there was a live nativity scene.
Next week, Saturday the 11th, is Christmas on the Coosa that will include a full day and nighttime lineup of events starting at 11:30 a.m. at Gold Star Park. The Light the Night Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m., and Santa will ski across the Coosa River following the parade. The night will end with the popular fireworks show.
