Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
The lights have been hung from the streetlights with care.
The bell ringers are out ringing with style and flair.
Holiday music can be heard throughout the stores,
and children everywhere are willingly doing their chores!
A walk through the park is now merry and bright,
And the festival of tress is just with in sight.
It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas! It’s finally here!
A time to be merry. A time to spread cheer.
Ashland Kentucky is merry and bright
A trip downtown can be such a delight
The trees are up, the lights are strung, and that Christmas spirit is spreading like wildfire. If the Christmas spirit hasn’t hit you just yet… that’s okay! You just haven’t experienced what this creative little town has to offer during this festive time of year. You don’t have to go far to find that good ole’ Christmas spirt. Christmas is all around us here in Ashland. Just take a drive down Winchester Avenue one night and you will see the beautiful display of lights carefully hanging from street lights as you pass by. If lights are what gets you in that festive mood then you want to drive a little further and take trip to Central Park. There you can find the most impressive light display anywhere in the tristate.
The Winter Wonderland of Lights Festival (WWOL) is a five-week celebration of the most wonderful time of the year. Sixty magical holiday light displays, containing over 800,000 lights, spans across Central Park’s 52-acres of pure majestic beauty. The WWOL has been a well-loved tradition of Ashland for many years. People from all-around the Tri-State make the drive to view this beautiful display of holiday cheer set the park ablaze. This display is free-for-all to enjoy. The WWOL, held its opening night on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. The light display will be available until Jan. 1, 2023. The lights turn on at dusk and burn bright until 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
During the months of November and December you can also catch a ride on the Winter Wonderland Express Train and tour the beautiful light display in the most festive of ways. The train departs at Central Park and 22nd Street. Train rides will be available through the 18-20 of November and the 2-4, 9-11 and 16-20 during the month of December. Rides are offered from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. and ticket costs will be $4 per person. You can also take your own picture with Santa at the Central Park Log House during the times that the train rides are offered. What’s Christmas without a parade? No worries… Ashland’s got that covered too. The annual Christmas Parade will be held Tuesday, November 22 at 7 p.m. downtown Ashland. This year’s theme will be “Christmas Around the World” with Grand Marshal, Mark Maynard at the helms.
Now, you can’t have Christmas without a Christmas tree! What’s better than one Christmas tree? Well that’s an easy one… how about a historic theater full of them? The Paramount Art’s Center kicked off it’s 38th Annual Festival of Trees and Trains on November 18. This 10-day event runs through Nov. 27 and can be enjoyed Monday-Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. and will also be available on Thanksgiving Day from 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Paramount Arts Center. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for children. All proceeds of this annual holiday fundraiser supports the education department of the historic Paramount Arts Center right here in Ashland.
The Festival of Trees and Trains offers a huge display of creatively decorated trees, bowling pins, carvings, trains and so much more. Everything you see on display has been made possible by local businesses, schools, clubs, teams and extremely talented Christmas loving individuals right here in your hometown. The Festival of Trees and Trains isn’t just about what you see. This event is all about spreading that holiday cheer all-around and offers a wide variety of holiday themed activities. During the duration of the Festival of Trees and Trains you will experience visits from Santa, photos with popular characters, performances by local choirs, bands and entertainers, great food and tons of Christmas Spirit.
So, if Christmas spirit is what you are looking for, then you look no further than right here in your own merry and bright hometown of Ashland.