2010 Winterhaven Festival a Success!!

Thank you to all of Tucson who participated in the 2010 Winterhaven Festival of Lights this year.  This was a very special year for Winterhaven as it is the first year it was privately funded.  We have to say that the decorations in the community were AWESOME!  The high lights in the trees were FABULOUS!  All of you private homeowners in Winterhaven did a tremendous job putting on a show for the record books.  Thank you from all of us who enjoy this event. 

Thank you to all of our patrons who rode the wagons this year.  You guys generated so much food for the food bank!  You also made our season a special year. We appreciate all of you and hope that we make your holiday as special of an event as you make ous.  We try to provide a fun ride and hope you guys experienced some of the magic of this event!

We had one proposal this year on the wagons and we will hope they ride for their anniversary for many years to come!  

Thank you to all of those who walk through Winterhaven.  It truly is a sight to behold and that is an excellent way to experience all the magic of the event!

Thank you for all of you who drove through Winterhaven and brough those dontations for the food bank.  

Together, we can do anything!  That is the beauty of this amazing country we live in!

Julie Wycoff

The Holiday Season is Upon US!!

Well,  every day that brings us closer to the start of this event fills us with anticipation.  We are busy driving mules to prepare them for pulling at Winterhaven.  We are trying to answer all the questions that you call us with.  We are making reservations and looking forward to Saturday.  One thing that we have realized throughout this period is that this holiday event is not just about riding through Winterhaven and seeing the beautiful lights.  We realize that it is ultimately about making memories for you to share with those you love.  Those memories are precious and we don't always realize what that means until those memories are all we have.  Our family has a tradition and that is putting on the wagon rides through winterhaven.  When my son, Jake, came home from school with an assignment which was to describe a tradition that we practice through this season he wrote that we do Winterhaven.  At first this troubled me that we don't have any other tradition that he has to relate to this most Special Holiday.  After some thought, however, I arrived at a realization to what we really do.  We have the tradition of making memories for all of you who come and share this season with us.  I have spoken with so many patrons who have ridden with us through winterhaven with loved ones that they have lost.  They thank us for being there.  That is what this holiday event is about.  Bringing that special closeness to families so that they can look back on this event and remember....   We will try to bring you great memories!

THANK YOU FOR SHARING OUR TRADITION WITH US!!    Red, Julie, Jake and Kiki!

Tucson ROCKS!!

Winterhaven 2010!  Well, Tucson should be proud!  Thanks to the Pasqua Yaqui Indian Tribe, Ford, and MANY more, Winterhaven 2010 is on!! 

It is so exciting to be a part of such a nostalgic, magical event.  We can only hope that our part in this event provides happy Holiday memories that will last a lifetime for our patrons!  We also know that all of you out there will bring record food donations for the Tucson Food Bank! They will be set up in Winterhaven and can be dropped off at our site at Country Club and Ft. Lowell, just North of the Circle K.   Lets make this a grand slam year for food donations as there are many many people who can use it!  

Thank You for this opportunity, Tucson!!  

All of us at Winterhaven Rides!

Winterhaven Festival of Lights... So Far So Good!

Many of you are calling with questions regarding the 2010 Winterhaven Festival of Lights.   One question was whether or not the lights would be good this year, as the City of Tucson is usually hired by the Winterhaven LLC to string some of the lights in the trees for the festival.  In order to help alleviate unnecessary expense, the Winterhaven LLC has decided to look for other options than paying the very high price that the City of Tucson has charged in the past.  One option they have entertained was to take bids and hire a private company with lift access so that the lights could be placed as they have been through the years past.  Therefore, the lights should be the same as years past.  Remember, many of the residents provide their own decorations and lights in their yards...  that is what really makes the Festival!  Either way, with the effort from the Neighborhood of Winterhaven, all the vendors and everyone who has donated either $ or time, this ought to be an extra special year!    We can't wait!!

Thank you to all of you Calling!

Just a note to thank all of you who are calling to inquire about the status of the 2010 Festival of Lights! 

We are keeping our fingers crossed...  but as of now the Festival for the 2010 Winterhaven is definately a go!  If you have any questions, let us know!! 

We will continue to keep you up to date on any news we get, as we get it!

We want to shout out to the Newspaper writer who states that this festival is a waste of money and time... stating that the funding that the City of Tucson has give to this Festival wasn't worth the small amount of donations and food for the Tucson Food Bank that was collected.  I'm sure that the people who have recieved some of the over 336,000 pounds of food and over $357,000 dollars in cash donations would say differently!  Not only does it provide a source of food and cash donations, it brings people back to what this Holiday should be about... that is taking time to experience the wonder of the Holiday, to partake in the giving of this season and seeing the joy in the little kids faces as they experience a Beautiful Tucson Tradition!

The 2010 Festival is Looking like a GO!

It is looking like the 2002 Winterhaven Festival of Lights is currently a GO!  We have heard positive remarks from the Winterhaven Committee and we are currently reserving seats for the wagon rides through the Festival. 

It is amazing what a difficult situation can do to pull people together.  The community of Winterhaven is a strong, positive community and create a magical place for the holidays for thouands of people.  As vendors for the wagon rides, we see entire families return to Winterhaven year after year.  We see little kids sheer excitement to be getting on the wagons for the rides.  We see the streets full of pedestrians viewing the magic of this event.  We are blessed to be a part of it!

Wow... What a meeting!

Wow!  What a meeting was held last night for the Winterhaven Festival of Lights in Tucson Arizona.  The meeting, called by the Winterhaven Board, was an emergency meeting to see if the Festival of Lights should proceed this year.  Due to the terrible state of our economy, the City of Tucson will not fund the event!  The neighborhood of Winterhaven, along with many concerned citizens, have shown that they are going to take it upon themselves... and ourselves...  to help save the festival.  As of now, it is still scheduled to take place on December 11th through December 26th.  There are going to be wagons at 6,7,8,and 9 from Country Club and Ft. Lowell.  The debate is whether they should charge cars going through winterhaven to help pay for the event.   Car nights will be the 14th, 16th and 26th of December!  As of now, the wagon rides will be available and if you want to schedule, just give me a call at 520-825-0208. 

Remember, this is a very important event in for Tucson.  This event is the second largest contributor to the Tucson Food Bank surplus yearly!  In a time when it is needed the most, it is absolutely necessary that this goes on!  Remember, it is about the beautiful, nostalgic holiday that this event provides.  It's a back to basics, magical festival and no one should miss it!