The City of Groveland will hold its annual 2018 Light Up Groveland festivities on Saturday, December 8. This year’s event will include new activities that will center around a new venue, called Groveland’s Downtown Festival Park, which will debut the same day.
Light Up Groveland will include the usual holiday parade, tree-lighting ceremony and visit with Santa. New additions include: The Elf Run 5K Walk/Run; food trucks; holiday craft vendors and Kids Zone, with bounce houses, rock-climbing wall, mobile video game truck, face painting, obstacle course, snow cones and more.
The holiday parade will start at 4 pm with a new parade route near Gray Middle School: starting at Cherry Street and continuing on Lake Avenue and Magnolia Street.
Groveland’s Downtown Festival Park is a 9-acre property owned by the City of Groveland. The property, located at 117 N. Main Ave., will eventually be in the path of the State Road 50 realignment, so the park is not intended to be permanent. In the meantime, city officials decided to use the property as a park and event space.
“This will give our community space downtown for recreation, relaxation and community events,” said City Manager Mike Hein. “It will be especially useful during the coming year while improvements are underway at nearby Lake David Park.”
A popular gazebo from Lake David Park is being repainted and moved to the Downtown Festival Park and will be the center of the December 8 holiday activities.
