After nearly being cancelled, organizers of this year’s Christmas in Williams Park are seeking volunteers to work with Langley Township staff to stage the annual parks displays at 6595 238 Street.
Barb Sharp, president of the non-profit society, sees it as preparation for next year, when they may have to do it all themself.
“We’re looking to try to reintroduce volunteers into that setup, and maybe the takedown as well,” said Sharp, explaining they want to be ready to take on those tasks after last month, when the society revealed municipal staff who had been handling the setups and takedowns were being withdrawn by the Township, a late-in-the-year decision that threatened to scuttle the annual event.
Volunteers had been handling the tasks until about five years ago, when Township crews took over, Sharp noted.
It provoked an uproar, and was quickly overturned by council, with a promise to discuss the matter further next year.
READ ALSO: Christmas in Williams Park will go on this year, council confirms
“I don’t like to be caught off guard like that,” Sharp told the Langley Advance Times.
“We would have tried to do the event regardless, but I want to make sure that we’re in a position to [next year if the staff are withdrawn].”
Township employees are agreeable to working with the volunteers, Sharp said.
“I’ve already spoken to the staff about it and they’re perfectly okay with having some volunteers come in and they can help direct them.”
Sharp said the crews love to do the setup.
“They volunteer. What happens is, they [Township managers] go to the staff and say, ‘who wants to do the Christmas in the park?’ So we get people who are doing this, that actually like doing it.”
Preparation will begin Tuesday, Nov 14,and will continue until just before opening day.
Volunteers are asked to email Kathy McMahon at KMcmahon@myyahoo.com to get a time slot.
Projects include stringing mini-lights on a group of 12-15 mini trees, painting cutouts, and other setup tasks, which start on Nov. 14.
Sharp said volunteers will also be needed for the actual event itself, between the hours of 5 and 9 p.m.
Among the newer attractions, is the “peacock tail” that is six feet tall and 12 feet wide with multicolored lights that move and a 12-foot “chandelier” of lights created by one of the volunteers last year.
“I think its going to be really exciting this year.”
READ ALSO: LETTER: Langley Christmas display a cherished tradition
A tradition that was interrupted by the pandemic will return this December, with Christmas in Williams Park handing out treats again.
“We’re actually going to do the candy canes again, because we’re kind of past COVID, so that’s really good because it’s kind of fun to hand out candy canes to the big and little kids,” Sharp remarked.
This year, the event, which starts Dec. 1, will end earlier than usual, on Dec. 17 instead of Dec. 20, at the request of the Township, Sharp revealed.
“That will give staff an opportunity, that week, to actually start taking down [right away] so they don’t have to wait for the new year.”
Admission is free, and donations go towards more lights and replacing existing lights.
