Staff writer
A Christmas lights display that was a formerly much-loved tradition is making a comeback this year.
After a two-year lapse, residents of Hill Rd. at Marion County Park and Lake will again display a street full of holiday lights and welcome visitors on one special evening.
From 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, visitors can be delighted with extra touches of candy canes and popcorn.
“We’ll have Santa and Mrs. Claus, and they will give candy canes to everybody,” resident Marge Schwartz said. “At another house, they will give little sacks of popcorn to everybody.”
Schwartz said the last time the Hill Rd. residents decked out for the holiday, between 1,200 and 1,500 people came through to see the dazzling array of festive lights.
“We did it for about seven years, and haven’t done it for the past two years,” Schwartz said. “There have been so many people who have asked, ‘Aren’t you going to do it again?’ A bunch of us on Hill Rd. decided it would be fun to do it again.”
Hill Dr. might not be the only area with decorated lawns and houses.
“Everybody at the lake has been encouraged to put Christmas lights out, and we hope they will,” Schwartz said. “Pete Williams has got his great big huge Christmas tree decorated again this year.”
To get to the Hill Rd. display from Marion, take K-256 to Upland Rd. and turn right toward the lake. At Lakeshore Dr., turn left and continue about 1.2 miles around the lake to Hill Rd.
Although a designated visitors’ evening will happen only on Sunday, lights will be on at night until Christmas, Schwartz said.