2015 Fun 4th Applications Are Online Now!

Calling all runners, crafters, and marching bands!  Applications for the 2015 Fun 4th Festival are online now.  All applicants can apply by mail or online.  Visit our website: Fun 4th Applications for all the info.

We are looking forward to celebrating with you!

Festival of Lights Kicks Off Holiday Season

P.O. Box 29212

Greensboro, N.C. 27429

www.festivaloflightsgso.org

www.facebook.com/festivaloflightsgso

Twitter: @GrassrootsGSO

Connect with us: #folgso

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS KICKS OFF HOLIDAY SEASON

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The 26^th annual Festival of Lights celebration will be held Friday, Dec. 5 from 6-9 p.m. in Downtown Greensboro.  The signature sponsor of the event is the Greensboro News & Record. 

The festival will feature a musical stroll, sponsored by Gate City Transportation, Mary’s Antiques and ArtsGreensboro, spanning seven blocks along Elm Street.  Over 25 performing groups will be showcased.  Downtown shops, restaurants and galleries will be open throughout the festival area for patrons to enjoy.

The free Gate City Trolley will shuttle visitors from Center City Park on the north end of the festival to The Railyard on the south end from 5:30-9:30 p.m.  The trolleys will run approximately every 15 minutes and will stop in the festival area on Elm Street and at Hamburger Square Park.

Home State Apparel will sponsor a performance by Paperhand Puppet Intervention.  The group will bring two giant, holiday themed paper puppets to the streets of downtown.  Look up to the sky to see them making their way down Elm Street.

Guilford Merchants Association will sponsor the Winter Wonderland located at the intersection of South Elm and McGee Streets.  Santa Claus will hear holiday gift requests from children and families are encouraged to take photographs. The Salvation Army and 107.5 KZL will provide hot chocolate and marshmallows will be available for roasting amid a flurry of snowflakes, courtesy of City View Apartments.

The South End on Elm, located in the 500 and 600 blocks of South Elm Street, will be filled with holiday cheer and entertainment.  The Polar Express will be taking children on a free ride courtesy of Gate City Transportation.  Free hot beverages, provided by the Greensboro Downtown Residents’ Association, will be available outside of Elements Gallery.

A highlight of the festival will be the Community Sing-Along and the lighting of the 38-foot Community Tree contributed to Center City Park by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation.  The celebration opens with a performance by the North Carolina A&T Fellowship Gospel Choir at 5:45 p.m. followed by The Community Sing-Along led by Wally West at 7 p.m.  The Community Tree and its five-foot star will be lit at 7:30 p.m.  Center City Park will also host children’s crafts and a bounce house sponsored by UnitedHealthcare, as well as souvenir reindeer antlers provided by the News & Record.

Festival of Lights is partnering with ArtsGreensboro and Downtown Greensboro, Inc. for the December First Friday event.  Dozens of downtown galleries, antique and retail shops will be open late and will showcase local artists and musicians.  A complete list of participating venues is available at www.downtownfridays.com.

The seasonal First Friday Indie Market will again be held at the corner of South Elm and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.  The First Friday Open House at the Cultural Arts Center at 200 North Davie Street will feature holiday music and dancers amid the galleries.  Be sure to catch the News 2 Piedmont Winterfest Ice Rink in its new location at The Railyard.  Find additional seasonal event information at www.DowntownInDecember.org.

The City of Greensboro is a co-sponsor of Festival of Lights and provides assistance for the installation of holiday decorations on the light poles downtown.

For more information about the Festival of Lights or to volunteer, please visit www.festivaloflightsgso.org, www.facebook.com/festivaloflightsgso, follow on Twitter @GrassrootsGSO, or call 336.274.4595.

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Building the Community Tree for Festival of Lights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.O. Box 29212

Greensboro, N.C. 27429

 

www.festivaloflightsgso.org

www.facebook.com/festivaloflightsgso

Twitter: @GrassrootsGSO

Connect with us: #folgso

 

BUILDING THE COMMUNITY TREE FOR FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The 26^th annual Festival of Lights celebration will be held Friday, Dec. 5 from 6-9 p.m. in Downtown Greensboro.  Dec. 1 and 2, designers from New Garden Landscaping and Nursery will construct the Community Tree in Center City Park in preparation for the Festival’s annual tree lighting.

 

The tree stands 38 feet tall and is topped with a five-foot star.  It takes two days to build.  Donated to Center City Park by the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation in 2008, the Community Tree is a green alternative to a live tree and uses LED lights.  Additional decorations, including garland, red bows and lights, will be installed in the park in early December along with dozens of red bows and giant snowflakes on the light poles throughout Downtown.

 

“There’s no place like Center City Park during the holidays,” said Action Greensboro Director Cecelia Thompson.  “We are joyful to be a part of bringing holiday cheer to downtown Greensboro.”

 

During the Festival of Lights, Center City Park is the site for a children’s craft center, a bounce house and the distribution of souvenir reindeer antlers provided by the Festival’s signature sponsor, the Greensboro News & Record.  The tree lighting ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. with a holiday sing-along led by Wally West.  At 7:30 p.m. the Community Tree will be lit, followed by additional musical entertainment.

 

For more information about the Festival of Lights, please visit www.festivaloflightsgso.org, www.facebook.com/festivaloflightsgso, follow on Twitter @GrassrootsGSO, or call 336.274.4595.

 

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Fun 4th Recap

I can safely say that the Fun 4th's 40th birthday was awesome!  Being over the hill has never been so much fun.  Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us - it wouldn't have been the same without you!  Overall, this was one of my favorite festivals so far, which makes it really hard to pick out the most memorable moments.  But, I have narrowed it down to what I think are my top five favorite things from the 2014 Fun 4th.

1.  New location.
I will be the first to say that I was skeptical (and that's the nice way of putting it) about moving the festival back to the historic district.  But I have completely changed my mind.  I loved the area, I loved the layout, I loved being in the midst of all the great shops and restaurants downtown.  I mean, how cool is this picture?!

2.  The bands.
So, I think this is probably on my favorites list every year, but I am always amazed by the talented, professional, and truly nice entertainers I get to work with.  This year we had some really awesome groups that completely made the festival, in my opinion.  I hope all of you had an opportunity to check them out!

3.  The food.
My first Fun 4th I got this delicious and amazing piece of chocolate covered cheesecake and every year since it has either been sold out or I have been too busy to grab a piece.  This year I was finally reunited with this delicacy.  That, plus the 30629468496 calories I consumed in other tasty treats, definitely made this year one of the best yet.

4.  Kids dressed as presidents.
This needs no explanation.  It was just awesome.

5.  You guys!
We had such great crowds all day long and everyone that I spoke with was having such a good time, I couldn't help but be excited.  You all make Fun 4th what it is and I am so glad that we could share the 40th anniversary with each and every one of you.

To see more pictures from the 2014 Fun 4th Festival, visit our Flickr page here.  Feel free to leave me a comment with your favorite memory from this year - I would love to hear about it!  You can also post your pictures to our Facebook page or use the hashtag #Fun4th and we will find them.

#Fun4thIs40

This is a milestone year for the Fun 4th.  We are celebrating 40 years.  Our ruby anniversary.  Over the hill.  However you want to think about it, it's a long time!  At the office, we've been going through the last four decades of photos, posters, and memorabilia so we can both celebrate and reminisce about Fun 4th Festivals of the past.

If you have any Fun 4th memories, please share them with us using the hashtag #Fun4thIs40  We would love to hear your stories and see your pictures.  Or, if you can't think of a memory to share right this second, feel free to search the same hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and see what we are posting from our archives.

Then, be sure to come celebrate with us on Friday, July 4 and make some new memories - I will see you there!