Winter Festival brings holiday cheer despite weather

Director considers event a success and looks forward to next year

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

The West Memphis Winter Wonderland Festival made its dazzling debut on December 13 and 14, transforming the area next to the Eugene Woods Civic Center into a hub of holiday magic. With activities like ice skating, mini ice go-karts, and food trucks, the festival drew an enthusiastic crowd, especially on its opening night. Though inclement weather forced the cancellation of Saturday’s events, organizers and attendees alike hailed the festival as a success.

Friday night’s kickoff saw more visitors than anticipated, as families and friends poured into the festive venue to experience the holiday spirit. “I’ve never skated on real ice before – it’s so much fun!” said 10-year-old Kailey , who grinned ear-to-ear as she made her way around the rink. Her younger brother, 7-year-old Caleb, declared the mini ice go-karts “the coolest thing ever.”

Jim Jackson, Director of Tourism for West Memphis, shared his excitement over the turnout. “The response was incredible. Friday night was more than we expected, and it really showed that people loved the idea of bringing something unique like this to West Memphis,” he said.

Despite a rainy forecast,

See FESTIVAL, page A2

Santa makes yet another appearance around West Memphis.

Photos by Don Wilburn

For some, bumper cars can be too much like actually driving in West Memphis.

For many, it was their first time ice skating.

From page A1

organizers initially planned to press forward on Saturday, with the entire festival housed under a large tent. But by mid-afternoon, worsening weather conditions made continuing unsafe, prompting the decision to cancel.

“We knew rain was coming, so we had the tent just in case,” Jackson explained. “But it turned out to be more than we anticipated. By the time we had around 100 people braving the rain, we had to make the call to cancel for safety reasons. It was disappointing, but those who came enjoyed free admission while we were open, and we just told everyone, ‘Merry Christmas!’” For many, the ice skating rink was the highlight of the festival, marking the first time in over 25 years that West Memphis hosted such an attraction. The decision to place the rink on a solid surface, rather than at the annual tree-lighting ceremony, proved to be a smart one, and Jackson noted the excitement from younger attendees. “The little kids really loved it, and that makes it all worth it,” he said.

While Saturday’s weather was a setback, Jackson is optimistic about the festival’s future. “There was enough response to try it again, and we’re already thinking of ways to improve – like adding sides to the tent. We’d also love to bring live reindeer next year!” he added.

Jackson says he is lucky to have a commission that embraces and is willing to try fresh ideas and sees the Winter Wonderland Festival as part of a broader effort to provide engaging activities for families in West Memphis. “We want to bring things for every generation to enjoy, many of the adults I talked to had never been ice skating before.” he said. “This year was a great first step, and we’re excited to build on it in the future.”

The first night had more attendees than expected.

Whole everyone had fun, some stopped to ponder the meaning of life.