Circlefest 2012 lights soggy Wade Oval with holiday spirit

Posted December 03, 2012 in Articles

Author: Peggy Turbett

Steady rain may have blanketed Wade Oval with mud instead of snow, but the spongy ground didn't dampened the spirits of those ready to ride with "Molly" and "Duke"" a round the sites and sounds of Circlefest 2012.

The two jet-black Percherons pulled one of two wagons around the oval, the horses' harnesses jingling bells as they passed by. The wagon rides were one of many family-friendly activities, including music concerts, holiday displays and free entry to the area museum.

Santa belted out holiday weather tunes with the polar bear and cobra in the Sears Hall at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Meanwhile, the Cleveland School of Arts choir and orchestra performed a free holiday concert in the Murch Auditorium. Two live reindeer munched away just a few yards from the ancient dinosaur skeletons.

Stollers and sweets filled the halls at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, where the gingerbread display exceeded 75 fanciful structures.

Abigail Kallay, who will celebrate her eighth birthday on Thursday, eyed "A Sweet Christmas at the Castle," with its marbled red-and-yellow "stained-glass" sugar window. Watching the elves on their Ferris wheel in the garden shop window, Samantha Colbert ,7, and Brice Hiner, 6, held tightly to their cocoa cups. They both thought the dinosaur museum and singing Santa were great, but the hot chocolate, they declared, "Awesome!"

The Museum of Art sponsored craft classes where children and parents could build lanterns. Then they carried their creations in the festival's finale, the Winter Lights Lantern Procession. They followed as museum dancers twirled illuminated parasols, and giant puppets worked the crowd, dancing on the soggy Wade Oval Turf.

The only casualty of the festival was the temporary closing of the rink. Bricks instead of skates covered the rink, holding down a puddle-laden tarp. The rink is waiting no doubt for weather more suited to skates than slickers.

Original Article: http://blog.cleveland.com/pdmultimedia/2012/12/circlefest_2012_lights_soggy_w.html