Aycock's Festival of Lights goes strong in year 3
Dec. 10—Three years ago, Aycock Elementary's inaugural Festival of Lights was somewhat of a novelty, a creative way to combat the pandemic restrictions that eliminated large indoor gatherings. Last year, the turnout of vehicles — and the cheerful occupants inside them — for the drive-thru affair was overwhelming.
This time around?
Well, driving through Aycock's campus to gaze at brightly-lit Christmas scenery is already starting to feel like tradition now.
"I said last year that I might not be here this year, but here I am," said Craig Compton, the man behind the staging of the lights, which takes about two weeks of planning and work to pull off. "And it's worth it because like I said, seeing the kids' faces and their reactions and then seeing the senior people that come through and they enjoy it. It's something good in the world with all of the mess we've got going on now."
Craig, whose wife Sherry is an Aycock Elementary teacher, made those comments on Thursday, just as the second night of the Festival of Lights was getting underway.
On night one on Wednesday, 354 cars passed through Aycock's parking lot before another 376 came through on Thursday to bring the total to 736.
The two previous years featured only one night and on Thursday, vehicles were already lining up around 5 p.m. for the festival, which ran from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. both nights.
"It ran smoothly," Aycock Elementary Principal Kristen Boyd said during Thursday's show. "Almost all of the staff is participating. We have kids dressed up as the characters this year. We've added some new things: Santa's workshop with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. And then we also added the Vance County Rescue Squad, who put their boat out — so we have Santa in the lake out there."
Boyd was referring to a Santa inflatable, strapped in the seat of the Vance County Rescue Squad boat parked in the middle of campus.
The Rescue Squad had the all-important tasks of directing traffic — as vehicles lined all the way around the recreation center parking lot and down the Aycock driveway, spilling onto Carey Chapel Road — and providing generator backup to power the lights.
Returning as Festival of Lights stations were the illuminated interpretations of "The Polar Express," Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Village, Winter Wonderland, and Who-ville.
Compton credited Billy Shelton of Seamless Gutters for providing the aerial lift enabling lights to be placed in high places, like the trees in front of the school.
There were plenty of other sponsors and volunteers to thank, so many in fact, that their names were placed on a sign out front.
And so an event that essentially originated as a backup option for the school's traditional holiday-themed assemblies, continued to gain traction as a community favorite.
"It was seniors, kids — my wife's 91-year-old aunt came through here and she had a blast," Compton said. "It's a little more lights this year. We've added a little more stuff in each section. Everything has grown a little more than it was last year."
