(Article originally published in the April 23rd 2022 issue of The Victoria Advocate)
By Kit MacAvoy | kmacavoy@vicad.com
Lighted displays continue to light up Cuero every Christmas to give children and adults alike the thrill of the season.
The popularity of the 42-day holiday spectacular is apparent as Advocate readers have voted the Cuero’s Christmas in the Park the best holiday event and best festival for the eighth year in a row.*
“It’s a crowd pleaser,” said Bobby Seiferman, executive director of the Cuero Development Corp.
The corporation’s December Events Committee coordinates the display every year working from Labor Day to the Monday before Thanksgiving to get more than 260 lighted displays set up and lighted.
The display stays on through Jan. 1, attracting 10s of thousands of visitors from across the state. Seiferman said it is hard to keep track of how many people pass through the driving tour each year.
The donations raised at the end of the tour goes back to the exhibit for labor costs for security, upkeep on the infrastructure and more displays. Last year, $86,000 was given, down from $100,000 in 2020.
With the popularity and growth of the event, they are running out of space for the displays.
The display includes the giant paddleboat, Santa Claus, elves, snowflakes, deer, nativity, and gingerbread men, to name a few.
Last year, a selfie station was added at the end of the tour, near the former airport, to give visitors a place to take photos outside of their vehicles.
The event would not be possible without the committee, the volunteers, event sponsors, Stevenson prison unit helpers and the hot chocolate sponsors.
“I want to thank the December Event Committee, all the volunteers who made the Christmas in the Park happen and all the visitors who take the time to come to Cuero to see this very quintessential family event.”
*Note: As of 2022, Cuero’s Christmas in the Park has won The Victoria Advocate’s Crossroads “Best of the Best” Award for Best Holiday Event for the 11th consecutive year and the Award for Best Festival for the 3rd consecutive year. — December Events Committee