"Winterville" Brings Christmas Cheer to Wood River

WOOD RIVER - Hosted at the Wood River Roundhouse located at Central Park, the annual local favorite, Winterville took place on Friday evening. The night of fun family festivities brought out a crowd of locals, excited to get into the Christmas spirit.

The newly reimagined event, first being debuted as “Winterville” last year, following a Grinch theme, brought fun to many local kids. The event is enjoyed the night before the popular Santa’s Breakfast event held at the Wood River Roundhouse. Many attendees of the Winterville planned to enjoy both of the Christmas themed offerings in Wood River. Children who attended enjoyed a night with the Grinch before Santa’s arrival the following morning.

“This is an event that we enjoy putting on for local kids. We’re happy to welcome the community out to enjoy the festivities,” said Chair Valerie Freeman, who coordinates the event with the Wood River Appearance Committee.

The free evening of activities offered face painting and games along with the chance to meet and take a photo with the Grinch. A favorite of kids who attended was the corn hole game set up inside. The event has quickly become a tradition for families of the Wood River area. Cookies, hot chocolate, and other treats were another draw to the event. Many locals stopped by simply to enjoy the snacks and take photos.

The building both inside and out was decorated for Christmas, with lights and Christmas colored decor. The event organizers worked to bring Christmas, and some Grinch themed magic to the Roundhouse for the night of activities.

Many attendees stopped by to place votes for the Christmas Tree Decorating Contest. Local grade school classes K-5 from Lewis and Clark Elementary each decorated a tree. Each tree was decorated with different creative ideas. Some classes even made their own ornaments to hang on the trees. The winning class will receive a check prize. New this year was an additional tree decorating contest with local businesses participating.

Many fun free events are held at the Wood River Roundhouse year-round, to keep up with everything happening follow them on Facebook.

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