This year’s ChristmasVille was a big success

Now a decade old, Rock Hill’s ChristmasVille festival has achieved the status of a top regional attraction and a seasonal highlight for hundreds of visitors and local residents. Or, put another way, it’s a great way to get into the spirit of the season.

When planners first envisioned a festival that would bring ChristmasVille to life 10 years ago, some saw it as a nearly week-long festival that would include activities all over town. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the festival was limited to four days and confined mostly to downtown Rock Hill.

That has proven to be the perfect formula for a successful Christmas festival. This year’s event, held Dec. 3-6, was just long enough to usher Santa into town, hold a parade and pack a weekend with a large variety of fun activities for people of all ages.

And we do mean all ages. In addition to train rides, gnome hunts and a Ferris wheel for kids, this year’s festival featured a whiskey-tasting for the older crowd in the courtroom of the Gettys Art Center.

This year’s ChristmasVille was dubbed “A Decade of Reflections,” and it did incorporate many of the elements that have made past festivals special over the past 10 years. What would ChristmasVille be without Rock Hill’s beloved artist, Vernon Grant, and his menagerie of elves, gnomes, bright-eyed kids and, of course, the big guy in the red suit.

During the four-day event, more than 100 of Grant’s Santas were displayed at four locations downtown. Among the other events were a Grant the Gnome scavenger hunt and the VIG – Very Important Gnome – Club.

The aforementioned Ferris wheel and train rides have become a traditional part of the festival, along with Dickens-inspired sidewalk carolers, the Holiday Ice Rink at Fountain Park, a carousel, the Jingle Bell Parade and an appearance at the grand finale by the Winthrop University Rockhettes.

Other new events included a Thursday luncheon featuring Melody Carlson, an award-winning Christian author of fiction for all ages, and the chance for kids to enjoy cookies and cocoa with Santa. And, of course, visitors could dine at the food court or other downtown eateries, shop at the crafts tent on Caldwell Street, vote on the gingerbread houses on display and enjoy a variety of music and art throughout the four days.

In all, festival-goers could take part in 65 activities. But much of the fun came from simply strolling down Main Street, running into friends, taking in the lights and decorations, and soaking up the Christmas spirit.

In many ways, the holiday season has become a frantic rush to buy presents, plan special activities, put up decorations and just deal with the in-your-face commercialism coming at you from every direction. Is it any wonder that many of us turn into Scrooges this time of year?

But ChristmasVille was an antidote to all that. It let visitors immerse themselves in a traditional Christmas scene with tasteful decorations, sleighs with real horses and carols sung by people, not blasted out of a loud speaker.

Children weren’t bombarded by high-tech entertainment. Just riding an old-fashioned carousel, Ferris wheel or one of the miniature trains was a thrill.

And many, no doubt, got to try ice skating for the first time.

All in all, we think ChristmasVille is a terrific event and a great way to ring in the season. We are grateful to this year’s festival chairwoman, Mikki Rentschler, local sponsors and the countless community volunteers who helped make the festival such a success.

Thanks to all, and have a merry Christmas.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 3:12 PM with the headline "This year’s ChristmasVille was a big success."