Clemmons Wonderland

Small Town, Big Christmas Spirit

BY TABATHA RENEGAR, PHOTOS BY JENNA DOMINGO PHOTOGRAPHY AND VILLAGE OF CLEMMONS STAFF

Nothing quite encapsulates the best that Christmas has to offer like Christmas in a small town. Oh, sure, the big cities have their giant trees and spectacles on a grand scale but a small town Christmas is really where the charm of the holidays resides.

Clemmons Wonderland is the epitome of southern, small town holiday spirit! Celebrating the season is a community tradition in the Village of Clemmons and everyone is invited to visit the many boutiques, restaurants, and retail establishments that get into the fun.

The family-friendly events that are held as part of Clemmons Wonderland are free, thanks to The Village of Clemmons, generous sponsors and community groups! At the 2021 Christmas Tree lighting, Chickfil-A provided free cookies for kids and donated a portion of proceeds of the sale of sandwiches back to the family selected to light the tree. Attendees at the event, like my husband and I, enjoyed the snow machine that created a magical backdrop for the hot cocoa stand provided by Clemmons United Methodist Church. The coffee was courtesy of Morgan Elementary School, the West Forsyth Drum Line and joyful, costumed elves! If you looked closely, you may have noticed that some of the elves were the familiar faces of town council members and event coordinators.

It was such an honor to see the tree lit by the Castillo-Garcia family and to learn about all the family has endured to bring them out for the joyful night! The Castillo-Garcia family have five children and all five have gone through Southwest Elementary School. Their oldest is now in high school at West Forsyth. In March 2019 Mya was diagnosed with leukemia and began her battle. She had many long stays between Brenner’s Children and Duke Hospital that resulted in a stem cell transplant. She continues to fight her battle. Clemmons Wonderland and Southwest Elementary School collaborated by providing attendees the opportunity to give back by accepting donations for the family to help them with medical expenses as a result of Mya’s leukemia diagnosis.

The Tree Lighting concluded with a visit from none other than Mr. Claus himself who arrived in a bedazzled vintage truck that lit up little eyes and hearts of all ages!

Meanwhile throughout Clemmons, the 2nd Annual Light Up The Village was underway and generating lots of buzz! Local businesses and organizations participate in the Annual Holiday Decorating contest by decorating their windows, front doors, or their hoho-whole storefront! The local business with the most festive display takes home a special trophy and, even more motivating,

Village-wide bragging rights each holiday season! The best part? Residents get to vote and decide the winner by “liking” their favorite display photo in the designated Facebook Album featured on the Clemmons Wonderland page or vote on the village website. The display with the most votes/likes will win! Thinking about getting in on the fun in 2022? Look back at photos from the 2021 contest on the Clemmons Wonderland Facebook page to see what you’re up against!

If smiling is your favorite activity – and it should be! – then Selfie with an Elfie is just the ticket for a hilarious holiday adventure! In 2021, The Village of Clemmons placed an impressive 54 oversized Buddy the elf faces on the front door or window of local businesses. Residents had a blast finding them all and decoding Buddy’s secret message which then gave them a chance to win an amazing prize basket! Throughout December, the Christmas Wonderland Facebook page was full of adorable Elfie selfies, taken throughout Clemmons! And believe me, even if you didn’t stop to take a selfie, Ebenezer Scrooge himself wouldn’t be able to resist a chuckle as he walked into a Clemmons business and was greeted by that goofy face with the enormous smile!

Experience the spirit of the season filled with southern hospitality – find that perfect gift, enjoy a special meal with your family, or plan an overnight stay to enjoy the many surrounding Yadkin County wineries, as well as nearby holiday tours and productions. Clemmons Wonderland makes it easy to take part in free holiday festivities for the whole family that are sure to ignite your Christmas spirit!

For more information, be sure to ‘like’ Clemmons Wonderland on Facebook: ClemmonsWonderland and bookmark the website: clemmonswonderland.com

Clemmons Wonderland