The time of year has come to celebrate holiday cheer, gather close with loved ones and watch as the tree illuminates the city just in time for the holiday season. The Solon tradition of lighting the evergreen has been around for over 80 years.
“It represents who we are as a community,” said Mayor Edward Kraus. “I think whoever you are, whether you’re religious, [or] you’re not religious, I think you’ll feel like you belong. And I think that was the whole goal of this.”
Since 1937, the tradition has evolved from a simple gathering to choirs singing, vendors selling and actors entertaining. The event itself is free, although you can choose to purchase additional items. Special Event Coordinator Katie Holub has been helping set everything up for this year’s event.
“The first thing we do, we have this basic layout,” said Holub. “We have an event sheet we go through, looking at past entertainment, what worked, what didn’t work. We do a lot of searching for talent – we reach out to them, find costs and everything. [We ask]: Is it going to be great for family and something entertaining for them?”
With the cold front coming, we can expect to see visits from the famous Jack Frost, the Snow Queen and Santa as usual, in addition to ice carvers and LED light performers. While adding new entertainment, Solon has made sure to keep tradition.
“You never want to forsake traditions, but I think you want to evolve depending on the makeup of the community,” said Kraus. “I think that’s what we’ve been able to do over the last decade.”
The city has gradually added talent each year– Solon High School being a main provider. Under the direction of Mark Mauldin, the marching band has been performing in recent years. Occasionally, the orchestra has been known to perform under the direction of Gerald MacDougall, and Holub is hoping to have them back in the upcoming years. And for many decades, the vocal ensemble “Madrigals,” under the direction of Gary Lewis, are a staple of the event.
“We do traditional holiday music,” said Lewis. “We try to make it so that the vast majority of our music are songs that people know and love, and it will conjure a warm, happy feeling when they hear these songs.
According to Lewis, tradition is something he doesn’t stray far from.
“Another tradition [we] have [is the] opportunity for alumni to come and join us for a few songs,” said Lewis. “That is my absolute favorite thing because with no rehearsal, these people just walk up and it sounds amazing with zero practice. I call it instant awesome.”
Not only do high school organizations perform, but talent groups from the Solon Center of the Arts will as well. The SCA Dance Ensemble will perform an exhibition to “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” by Frank Sinatra, “Sleigh Ride,” by Ella Fitzgerald, “Snow Day,” by Toby Lightman, and the Theater group will perform sneak peaks of their future “Mary Poppins” show.
In coordination with Rich Parker and Tracy Sullivan, Holub has added even more entertainment to look forward to.
“New this year, we’re doing a carousel,” said Holub. “We also have a new [performer]. Her name is Sunny and she’s an LED light performer.”
The event gathers family and friends from all over Solon, fostering crowds of nearly 500 people of all ages to come to support the event. In addition to the entertainment, the Lymelight Alliance Club will be there, speaking out about Lyme disease.
As another feature of the night, the Fire Department is hosting a toy drive called Olivia’s Dream, spearheaded by Lieutenant Shaun Parsons, assisted by Fire Chief Shawn Toth and Public Education Battalion Chief Brian DiRocco.
“The story behind this organization is tragic, but it has taken a tragic event and turned it into something that has such [a] positive impact on children in Northeast Ohio,” said Toth. “This organization continues to grow and it will continue to support children during the holiday season for years to come.”
In honor of Olivia, any types of toys will be accepted and encouraged. You can drop off items at the Solon Rec Center until Dec. 11. The fire department is looking forward to the community’s donations and support.
According to Holub, the community has played a huge part over the past decades, and the best thing the community can do is to show up and support. Lewis agrees with Holub.
“Tradition is something that people look forward to each year, and it’s their way to kick off the holiday season,” said Lewis. “For the little kids to have that wonder in their eyes and seeing the tree light up or Santa show up, it’s a wonderful tradition. Very, very wholesome.”
From growing up and asking Santa for presents, to graduating and starting the next chapter, alumni from years prior come from all over, and the community grows even stronger. The intimacy of the event makes the Solon organizers excited to host the Winter Festival once again.
“I just think it’s a wonderful night,” said Kraus. “It’s a special time as a community.”
