It’s officially the holiday season, which means the community is being transformed into a winter wonderland — even if there isn’t any snow.
Eager to provide holiday spirit throughout The Villages, recreation centers are putting up and decorating trees in their rooms and lobbies.
Jim Lucas, recreation supervisor at Truman Recreation Center, said most recreation centers try to involve the clubs and residents in tree decorating.
“It creates a festive environment,” Lucas said. “For many people, the rec centers are an extension of their homes. They meet here regularly, they feel very comfortable here and they enjoy decorating and helping out.”
The decorations start going up early because of the amount of work that needs to be done, Lucas said.
Soon, District Property Management will start hanging outdoor decorations at the recreation centers. It’s a multi-department process, Lucas said.
“A lot of residents will be having their guests and family coming for Thanksgiving, and as soon as December starts, there’s all sorts of Christmas and holiday parties,” Lucas said.
Each recreation center’s decorations coincide with the theme of the center, Recreation Manager Pam Henry said.
“So the trees at Lake Miona have to do with sailing, and the trees at Eisenhower are decorated with a military flare,” Henry said. “Each center’s decorations are unique to the decor theme of the center, but at the same time, each tree in each room of the recreation centers is different, providing for lots of decorating ideas for Villagers.”
There will also be plenty of decorating at the squares, including huge Christmas trees, wreaths on various buildings, poinsettias, garland and bows.
And, of course, a tree lighting ceremony is held at each square.
“Up until the tree lighting ceremony, the big trees will not be lit,” said Nadia Skertich Lester, special events manager for The Villages Entertainment and Special Events. “This is the official turning on of the Christmas trees, so it’s like the official kickoff of the holiday season in The Villages.”
The tree lighting ceremonies are staggered. The first will take place Nov. 27 at Spanish Springs, followed by Lake Sumter Landing on Nov. 29 and Brownwood on Dec. 1. Each event will go from 4 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. lighting.
Each will feature decorations, a main performer and performances by resident groups.
Event-goers also will enjoy holiday music, food, craft vendors and a visit from Santa Claus.
“I think everyone enjoys the magnitude of the tree itself,” Skertich Lester said. “They enjoy the chance to be able to see such a large tree and be a part of the lighting process. The ceremony lets everyone know that it’s time for the holiday season.”
The town of Lady Lake will celebrate with Light Up Lady Lake at 6:15 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Lady Lake Log Cabin.
A flag ceremony will be put on by American Legion Post 347, along with a performance by the Villages Elementary of Lady Lake chorus, a Santa appearance and plenty of lights.
Lenhart Electric, a business in Wildwood, is working to help community members decorate their houses.
The service includes renting a set of lights for the season and having them installed and taken down by electricians.
“One of our electricians will come out and do the installation, and then they’ll come remove them,” said Courtney Woliver, with Lenhart Electric. “We keep the materials stored here on site.”
Woliver said Lenhart Electric has this service because they want to help out.
“A lot of Villagers don’t want to get up and down on the ladder, but lights are nice to have for the season,” she said. “If they have family coming in town, it looks nice for them. We try to get it all taken care of.”
If you’re interested in the service, call Lenhart Electric at 352-748-5818. There is a preset price for The Villages, so tell them the model of your home and they will discuss pricing and details before setting a date to come out and install the lights.
