Roscoe Village to have last candlelighting of the season
COSHOCTON – Roscoe Village Christmas Candlelighting has been an annual tradition for many years for the residents of Coshocton County and those from all over the state. Many begin their holiday season with a trip to Roscoe Village the first three Saturdays of the month of December to witness the lighting of the impressive Christmas tree and to sing “Silent Night” with glowing candles.
“This event is such a success because families from the state come here to start their Christmas season,” said Becky Lowe, who has been involved with Roscoe Village since 1972 and is the owner and operator of Liberty House.
If you have missed the first two Roscoe Candlelightings, there is still one more left this season. Saturday, Dec. 21 will be the last Candlelighting ceremony this season and as always, it promises to bring good, wholesome family fun without all the Christmas commercialism.
“When you come to Roscoe, it’s not so commercialized,” said Chad Miller, member of the Roscoe Village Business Association. “It’s not all that flash and bright lights. It’s traditional, wholesome, and down-to-earth.”
The honorary candlelighter for the evening will be the 2013 Coshoctonian, Judge C. Flenning Pierce. Becky Lowe will serve at the emcee, Mr. Charles R. Snyder, conductor of the Coshocton Community Choir, Children’s Choir, Youth Chorale, Presbyterian Church Choir, All-Ohio Youth Choir, and Cardinal Chorale, will provide musical entertainment with a group of his singers, and the storyteller for the evening will be Bee Richard-Lehner, past board member of the Roscoe Village Foundation, teacher, administrator, mentor to county schools, painter at Liberty Pottery, and a member of Roscoe United Methodist Church.
“There are different speakers and the stories change, but the concept of an old-fashioned holiday is constant,” said Lowe.
This year, the Christmas tree was donated by the Scheetz family in memory of Shirley Scheetz who worked at Roscoe Village for many years. The tree used to sit on the corner of Hill Street and Whitewoman Street where Uncorked is now. Each year, it was hand-picked by Mrs. Montgomery herself from her property. According to Chad Miller, people started donating trees in the 1980s. This is also about the time when Roscoe started having two more candlelightings.
The second and third candlelightings of the season used to be called Candlelit Strolls. Everyone would gather at Roscoe Village, light candles, and stroll around the village singing Christmas carols with cookies and cider waiting at the end. This only happened for a couple of years and eventually evolved into the three ceremonies we have now.
“It’s all about giving back to the community,” said Miller. “That’s why we do it. Our thing is to continue that tradition and the true meaning of Christmas.”
The last two candlelightings are sponsored by the Roscoe Village Business Association.
“I hope people take away the true meaning of Christmas, caring, sharing, loving, and kindness with a renewed spirit for 2014,” said Lowe.
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Arts & Entertainment
