GUERNSEY – The annual Winter’s Eve Festival in Guernsey is kind of like a Christmas parade on steroids.
It is a big event that transpires every year and started many years ago with the parade. Since then and over the years, it has grown to a celebration of community and includes a pie and soup supper, festive decorations all over town and at the Guernsey-Sunrise school, and of course, the Christmas parade.
The parade is one of the longest Christmas parades in towns the size of Guernsey and has visitors from all over Platte County who come to participate in the parade and who come to view the parade. Fire pits are set up on every block for those who need a break from the cold, although this year with nearly 40 degrees on the thermometer and no Wyoming wind, it was a warmer festival than in some years past.
There were many activities this year including the annual Parade of Trees event where all decorated trees and wreaths and even holiday dinnerware was up for silent auction. Prizes were also awarded for wreaths and trees and the categories were: best use of theme, people’s choice and most unusual.
The theme for this year’s fest was “North Pole Fantasyland” and it was held Dec. 7 in Guernsey. The entertainers for this year’s event were the Tri City Tip Toes Dance Studio, musical selections by the Jazz 2 and Lyrical 2 groups, the GSHS choir and the GSHS Band.
Students were also fundraising for various student groups by selling concessions and specialty lattes in the commons area.
And the big hit for the kids was the appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus, played by Mike and Sue Fronapfel. Their chairs were set up in the midst of the parade of trees and local cameraman Caleb Haase took pictures for the families. Bristow Built Construction and Lisa Bristow Realtor, 307 Realty Professionals sponsored all of the Santa pictures this year.
