Lights on display at Riordan for Home for the Holidays

File photo The lights on the outdoor displays around Riordan Hall were lighted at the Home for the Holidays celebration last week .
File photo The lights on the outdoor displays around Riordan Hall were lighted at the Home for the Holidays celebration last week .

The lighting event was on Nov. 20. Now the lights are on for the last 50th anniversary event for the Bella Vista POA. Home for the Holidays, replaced Dazzling Village Lights this year, but many of the same lights are up around Riordan Hall.

"We know people travel and then they come home for Christmas," event organizer Sylvia Camacho-Green explained.

The POA has been collecting large light displays for the past four years. New this year is a giant golf ball that is hanging near the entrance to the Kingsdale area.

Many of the lights have been arranged to provide a photo opportunity, Camacho-Green said. For example, the sleigh near the tennis courts was placed so a photo of sleigh passengers has a Christmas tree as background. There's also a bench under an arch proclaiming Happy Holidays.

In the past, sponsors helped purchase some of the displays, but since it's a 50th anniversary event this year, Camacho-Green didn't look for sponsors. The lights are set up by POA employees with some help from volunteers.

Some of the displays were customized for the POA including a large Santa playing golf and the giant golf ball. Some of the smaller items, Camacho-Green purchased at after-Christmas sales over the past few years and a few pieces were made by the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club.

This is the last 50th Anniversary event, she said. All the others, beginning with the Tanyard Creek celebration and continuing through Fish Fest, Freedom Fest and last month's Tailgating event, were successful, she said.

General News on 11/25/2015