Osgood Fairgrounds Park to be transformed
Winter wonderland event scheduled
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Those entering the Ripley County Fairgrounds Park in Osgood will be seeing sparkling lights and feeling the magic of Christmas the weekend of December 3 and 4. On Saturday and Sunday activities will take place from 6-9 p.m.

The 3rd Annual Christmas Wonderland sponsored by the Ripley County Department of Parks & Recreation, has several new features this year including train rides, Santa shop, and a lifetime of decorations donated by Charlie and Vickie Swinney of Osgood.

The Swinneys have been putting up a Christmas display for about 10 years. "One year for Christmas my daughter gave me a plastic snowman. The next year my brother and sister got me a Santa. From there on it kept growing," noted Vickie Swinney. It grew and the Swinneys have 235 plastic pieces, several wire pieces including a helicopter that lights up and a few wooden pieces.

The Swinneys noted that after being paid a visit from Julie Brancamp, manager at the Ripley County Fairgrounds Park, they decided to take her suggestion and put their display in a more public place. The Swinneys live on a dead end road just outside of Osgood and thought more people would be able to enjoy the lights at the park.

"I drove out there last year to see the spectacular display for myself, and thought, 'wouldn't this be great if everyone could see it'" noted Brancamp. She then approached the Swinneys who she describes as "fantastic, warm people who are great to work with.

Last Friday employees from Southeastern Indiana REMC were busy putting up a 35-foot tree that will be lit in a ceremony December 2, at 2:00 p.m. with the JCD Swing Choir providing musical entertainment. JCD fourth graders will help with the lighting of the tree. This ceremony will kick off the festivities for the weekend that will include free carriage rides by Patrick Bedel of Batesville; train rides (new this year) by Levi and Leslie Stewart, free hot chocolate and cookies, caroling, live nativity by the JCD Drama Club, Santa shop where a variety of homemade goodies and wreaths will be available to purchase and Christmas trees for sale by Sheets Tree Farm.

The Osgood Volunteer Fire Department will be providing transportation for Santa and Mrs. Claus as they arrive on Saturday and Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Bring your camera to take pictures as the children visit with the Clauses in a heated building. Santa's sleigh will be perched atop Building #10 at the fairgrounds park, all lit up and ready for flight when he and the Mrs. leave on Sunday night.

Julie Brancamp, park manager, invites the community to come out and enjoy the holiday season at the park. She noted that a tremendous amount of community support has been given to make the weekend possible. "I'm so pleased with the people in Ripley County, everyone has just worked really hard on this," she noted. Brancamp noted that everything is greatly appreciated and from those like the Swinney's who donated numerous decorations to the person who did the smallest thing. "It's all so important." Helping with the Ginger Breads and Elves designs were Natasha Gregory, Jessia Luers and Leslie Brancamp. "Everyone has helped so much," Brancamp noted. Della and Owen Menchhofer will have the Keep Christ in Christmas display that people have enjoyed in the past.

JCD seniors have put together a light display for a fundraising project. They will be collecting money for a senior trip and also accepting donations for Task Unit One.

The lights at the fairgrounds park will twinkle every night in the month of December with people invited to come share in the magic.

A mailbox will be set up at the park for those wanting to send holiday wishes to troops overseas. Linda Baker, who heads up the Support Our Troops group out of Pierceville, is in charge of this service and will be happy to get the greetings to the service personnel. Just bring your cards and drop them in the box provided.

"Osgood is the place to be!" Brancamp exclaimed, saying the merchants in Osgood are offering great sales and opening their businesses during the holiday weekend event. Also, the Ripley County Tour of Homes will be taking place.

During the month of December members of the Osgood Merchant's Association have pooled their resources to offer customers free gas. A lucky winner will get a gas card for $100. Participating businesses will be advertised and each time a customer buys something from their store, they will be eligible to enter the drawing.

The tour of homes includes bed and breakfast stops at The Huntington, The Victorian Garden, and The Newman-Vollmer House. Other homes on the tour are the Bill and Amy Stewart home, the Cathy & Jeff Volz home, the Baker-Butt home and the Osgood United Methodist Church and parsonage.

The tours will be held Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4 from noon until 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at all the bed and breakfast places. The event is sponsored by the Ripley County Homemaker's Extension Club. For more information call 689-4469 or 689-1535.

Also at the fairgrounds park, Bill Warren will be collecting toys for area children for Christmas. You can bring items to donate that include non-perishable foods and toys. The toy drive will be going on throughout the month of December with distribution being given on December 19. For more information you can contact Warren at 689-4720 or 689-4427.

From boy and girl scouts to a variety of groups from Jac-Cen-Del, community involvement and business sponsors, the Christmas Wonderland event is sure to be one you won't want to miss this year. Brancamp noted that the park board wanted to give something back to the people of Ripley County by sponsoring this event. "They've all been very supportive," she noted. Sponsors helping make this possible include: The Osgood Lions Club, Osgood Area Kiwanis Club, Napoleon State Bank, REMC, Blue Flame, Sheets Tree Farm, and the Osgood Vol. Fire Department, Osgood Grub Co., and Wagner Truss.

Brancamp noted that carolers are welcome and for more information they can call the park office at 689-6535.

"You see the true meaning of Christmas when you see families together enjoying the event," Brancamp concluded.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Employees from the Southeastern Indiana REMC were busy last Friday placing this nearly 35 foot evergreen at the Ripley County Fairgrounds Park. The tree was donated by Crocker's Tree Farm and will be lit in a special ceremony on December 2, to kick off festivities for the weekend at the park.