Holiday Lights Guide, Christmas Wishes, & Events

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Justin Kerns from the Winchester Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss holiday events and activities in Winchester.  Justin shares details about the success of Winchester Winter Village, highlighting clear weather, high turnout, and popular attractions like horse-and-carriage rides and seasonal shopping. They discuss the touching and sometimes humorous wishes left on the Wishing Tree, a community project that allows locals to write and pin their wishes on Christmas trees. They also talk about other festive activities, focusing primarily on holiday lights tours. Justin describes his family's tradition of mapping out the best holiday lights in the area, which he then shares in a blog (complete with a Google map) on the Visitor Center website. They mention the trolley tours, which have become increasingly popular, and other ongoing events like Belle Grove's holiday decorations and last-minute gift shopping opportunities at local gift shops. As the conversation progresses, Janet and Justin touch on New Year's Eve plans, including the Apple Blossom Festival's "Apple Drop" and the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum's "Noon Year's Eve" celebration for children. Towards the end, Janet emphasizes the importance of community support and kindness during the holiday season. The episode concludes with Justin expressing gratitude to all the volunteers and organizers who made the holiday events possible. Janet signs off with a note about upcoming episodes and a plug for voting for Olivia Hilton as Shenandoah County's Young Professional of the Year. Click here to vote.