Children roast marshmallows over a bonfire during last year’s Winter Fest.
Historic Smithville Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland of fun and holiday magic during the upcoming Winter Fest celebration.
The annual festival celebrating all things winter will be held on the grounds of Smithville Park in Eastampton on Saturday, Dec. 13, from noon to 5 p.m. It will once again feature an abundance of seasonal foods, music and other activities.
Visitors to the park can marvel at the sights of Smithville village and mansion decked out in holiday finery, accompanied by the sounds of wandering carolers performing their favorite tunes, along with other free activities held both indoors and outdoors.
Highlighting this year’s festival will be a special comedic performance of “The Nutcracker” by the theater troupe Fortune’s Folly. The group will also perform as Victorian carolers throughout the Smithville grounds.
Another attraction this year is the Naturalist Challenge. Nature lovers are invited to stop by the pop-up nature center, where Burlington County Parks System naturalists will test their knowledge of woody plants, including evergreens and other native species found in County parks.
Some of the other Winter Fest activities and attractions include:
- Meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus in their Victorian attire
- Lace up some skates and take a spin on the synthetic ice rink
- Join the elf hunt and help Buddy the Elf gather his friends so they can return to the North Pole
- Find a special gift in the Holiday Marketplace
- Enjoy s’mores at a bonfire or wine and mulled cider in the festival beer garden
Tours of Smithville Mansion and the village will also be available, and both the Smithville Mansion Annex Gallery and the Worker’s House Gallery will be open.
On display in the Mansion Annex is Burlington County’s 49th annual Juried Art Show featuring outstanding paintings, photographs, drawings and more from artists from Burlington County and beyond.
In the Worker’s House Gallery is a special exhibit of some of the best work by award-winning photographer Eric Stoner.
You can learn more about Winter Fest and all the other great Burlington County Parks activities, events and programs planned this winter in the Burlington County Parks seasonal program guide available online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/235/Parks.
