Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge County Park has been going strong for the community for 41 years. The holiday tradition started in 1984 following an energy crunch that made it difficult for decorating.

“Folks just were there a lot of the Christmas lights in York area, and so they came together, the commissioners at the time and the Parks Department decided to kind of put together this little bit of a light show that started out with about 10,000 lights. And then, yeah, it just kind of really grew from there. So, yeah, it started in 1984 during the heart of that and has become a great tradition in York area ever since, “said Teddy Fisher, Assistant Director of Parks for the York County Parks Department.

There are about 600,000 lights currently on display. The light show includes many people and takes about a year to plan.

“So, each year we try to mix it up. And Nancy Heizer, she's our park naturalist and really our Christmas magic program coordinator. So, she, she kind of oversees all that. We do have multiple meetings throughout the year with a larger group of staff and volunteers, and we try to brainstorm ideas and come up with things. But she does a lot of playing on the light show. And, you know, she tries to do different themes and kind of group and be strategic about it. And then also, you know, we're using a lot of the same props and lights each year and it's the same area, but we always try to mix it up just that way. It feels like a new experience for those folks that are coming back each year. So yeah, yeah, it's definitely a lot of fun. And let's have a lot of creativity and putting that together.”

This is the 41st year of Christmas Magic. Visitors can stroll the festive half-mile woodland trail filled with Christmas lights and holiday scenes. The event runs through December 30 and will be closed December 24 and 25.

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