Henderson’s WinterFest to feature fairy tales and fun

The Water Street District is set to transform into a fairy tale wonderland for its annual WinterFest.

The celebration, themed “It’s a Fairy Tale Christmas,” is scheduled for Dec. 11-13 at the Henderson Convention Center and Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St.

“Everyone gets really excited for the event because it’s sort of like the unofficial kickoff to the holiday,” said city spokeswoman Nicole Johnson. “It’s also the week before kids have their winter break, so it’s a great way to get in the holiday spirit.”

The Henderson Symphony Orchestra is set to kick off the event at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 with a performance of “Sounds of the Season.”

The celebration is scheduled to resume at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 with the arrival of Santa Claus, who is set to assist in the tree-lighting ceremony with Mayor Andy Hafen.

During the ceremony, Coronado High School and Schofield Middle School madrigals are set to sing classic holiday tunes, such as “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and more, according to choral directors Deborah and Eric Fleischer.

“The groups will perform both together and separately until about 7:30 p.m.,” said Deborah, who teaches at Schofield. “It’s nice for the middle school students to perform at the same level as the high school students. They learn a lot from the older kids.”

The Fleischers and their students have performed at the event for nearly 10 years, and they thank the schools’ principals, Terri Knepp and Michael Piccininni, for their support in continuing the tradition.

“It’s very important to be part of community and keep children interested in performing arts,” said Eric, who teaches at Coronado. “It’s also a great opportunity for the children to perform, and we’re very grateful for the support.”

New this year, the city is slated to display giant holiday cards decorated by Henderson schools and businesses. The cards are set to stand at 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide and coincide with the event’s theme.

“There’s also a Festival of Trees, which is a collection of about 10 to 12 trees decorated to the event’s theme,” Johnson said. “They’re donated by local businesses, organizations and youth groups and set up inside the convention center.”

The celebration is set to continue from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 13. The highlight is the evening light parade set to run down Water Street from Ocean Avenue to Victory Road beginning at 5 p.m. Children’s author and meteorologist Kevin Janison is slated to serve as the grand marshal.

“We have more than 50 entries in the parade that will be decorated to the theme,” Johnson said. “We’re really excited to see some of the imagination that comes out of these floats and entries.”

WinterFest was first held in 2002 when the city opened the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway. In its infancy, it hosted activities and visits from Santa.

The event was later moved to the Henderson Events Plaza when it opened in 2006, and it incorporated the annual holiday parade.

“The parade used to be during the day, but the city moved it to the evening a few years ago, and it’s been very successful,” Johnson said. “There’s just something about seeing the floats light up at night that brings out the holiday feeling.”

Additional free activities, including a petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides, gingerbread house displays and train rides, are scheduled to be available Dec. 12 and 13.

Water Street from Basic Road to Atlantic Avenue is set to be closed from 4 to 9 p.m. Dec. 12 and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 13. Water Street from Major Avenue to Victory Road is also set to be closed from 3 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13.

Free parking is available at the Henderson Convention Center; the Henderson City Hall parking garage, 240 S. Water St.; the Henderson Justice Court parking garage, 243 S. Water St; and any open parking lot in the Water Street District.

For more information, visit hendersonlive.com/special-events.

Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.