Annual charity event draws visitors near and far to celebrate the joy of giving. Enjoy music, the winter air, and the holiday spirit as Denton lights up the Courthouse-on-the-Square.
Denton’s Holiday Lighting Festival has become as essential to the Christmas season as Santa himself. Held the Thursday after Thanksgiving, the city’s annual tree-lighting ceremony attracts thousands of folks from the Denton area who’ve made the event a cherished tradition. It hits all the right holiday notes: Christmas carols, hayrides, a wassail contest, and a visit from Santa Claus, with whom children can have their picture taken.
To reinforce the Denton theme, the night ends with a performance by beloved local band and two-time Grammy-award winner Brave Combo, whose festive polka music makes a perfect holiday soundtrack.
This year, the Combo brings a special gift: a song, called “The Denton Polka,” written specifically for the city of Denton, says band member Carl Finch.
“We originally wrote it for the sesquicentennial; we were commissioned by the city of Denton to write a song commemorating its 150th anniversary,” he says. The song, which the quintet introduced at a sesquicentennial celebration in January, appears on the city of Denton’s website (
www.cityofdenton.com).
“It’s a polka, though it’s more of an instrumental song than a lyrical piece,” Finch says. “You can dance to it, but it doesn’t have a lot of lyrics. The lyrics paint a little idea. I tried to capture some of the unique spirit of what it is to be a Dentonite, which is historically a pretty independent place.”
Brave Combo has been part of the Lighting Festival since it began more than 20 years ago, says Bob Moses, who chaired the event from 2003 to 2006.
“There are certain features of the festival we try to maintain, and Brave Combo is a fixture,” he says.
:: What’s DoingThis year’s chair is Ellen Painter, who has served on the festival committee for 10 years. She loves that the festivities kick off with the lighting of the tree, a task awarded to a grammar-school student who won a contest for doing the nicest drawing with a Christmas theme. Joining the ceremony is WFAA weatherman Troy Dungan, who donates toys to needy kids as part of his Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive.
“He and Santa Claus and this child come up and throw a great big switch, which magically lights up a 25-foot-tall spruce decorated with all the colored lights,” Moses says. “Everyone sings ‘O Christmas Tree.’ If you’ve been to Denton at night, you’ve seen the 18 pecan trees around the square lit up. Once the Christmas tree is lit, those come on, too, and that starts the event.”
After speeches by the mayor and festival honchos, it’s more Christmas carols, and then the fun ensues: shuttle tours of the district and carriage rides ($1 per person), photos with Santa ($1 each), storytelling and drawing sessions inside the old courthouse, and the wassail contest, with free samples given out by participating contestants.
“The wassail contest has become one of the staple events,” Moses says. “It’s the drink made of apple cider and different spices. Since it’s a nonalcoholic drink, children can be involved. Different stores and merchants participate, each trying to outdo the other. You don’t win anything, except bragging rights.”
:: VolunteersAnother constant at the festival is the need for volunteers.
“They’re involved in so many capacities,” Painter says. “They help with Santa Claus, keep an eye on the kids, hand out literature, help with the hayrides, man traffic flow, pick up the toys, supervise the activities in the courthouse. We can’t do it without them.”
Volunteer opportunities have already been posted on the United Way website at www.volunteersolutions.org/uwodc/org/12131747.html. Interested parties can also contact volunteer coordinator Janie McLeod at (940) 349-8272 or e-mail her at
janie.mcleod@cityofdenton.com.
BY TERESA GUBBINS