Tree lighting at Lake Sumter - Nov 28, 2021
 

I had out-of-town visitors and took them to the tree lighting at Lake Sumter. It was very disappointing. I've never been before and maybe my expectations were too high. The vendors were great, but the actual tree lighting was very anticlimactic.

In order to improve it
• they could have had something like sing-along music just prior to the actual lighting, which would engage the audience
• by considering the presence of children who get bored with opera/symphony music
• giving the audience heads-up when the tree lighting is going to occur so they won’t go away and miss it

It turned out to be a very dissapointing anti-climatic event.

Used to be Billie Thatcher would lead us singing Christmas Carols before the tree switch was thrown. Did they give out the hand held candles this year and everyone wave them before the tree was lite ? It was also accompanied with the stilt walkers dressed up as drummer boys. The streets were cleared and tables and chairs set up for people to socialize. Tonight is lighting ceremony at Spanish Springs.

Did you share your improvement ideas with the Entertainment Department. Doubt if they have a dedicated staff member reading TOTV.

Some people are never happy.

We attempted to go the Spanish Springs Tree Lighting last night. The 'ones in the know' staked out their chairs, then went off somewhere to eat or whatever. We got there at 4pm, couldn't find anywhere to put our chairs that even remotely had a view of what was going on.

Supposedly there were belly dancers dancing to Christmas music .... What???

The drums and twirlers were next. Again, couldn't see anything for the hoards of people (Villagers, guests or locals???) We left before it even got dark.

Heard a fight broke out at Sumter and the police had a hard time getting through the crowds.

Maybe a drum roll next time will help.

Went to the one at Brownwood in 2017 to please my wife. I do not like crowds and will never go to another one.

I hear bah humbug(ing)!

what did you expect from this place

This thread proves that...

Come on, what are you implying?

You haven't figure out he's not happy in TV?

I was hoping he would speak for himself!

I have had both vaccines and a booster and still don’t think it’s a good idea
to go to an event that packed with people.