Retirement community hosts Second Annual Drive-Thru Festival of Lights
Country Club Village Retirement Community in Hot Springs will host its Second Annual Drive-Thru Festival of Lights beginning at 6:30 p.m. today.
Last year, more than 200 vehicles participated in the event. The community is located at 1925 Malvern Ave.
“Last year, we started it due to COVID,” said Tiffanie Harper, executive director. “People hadn’t been able to really enjoy the festivities that they normally are used to having. So we went through and helped all of our residents decorate their apartments.”
This year “we’ll have a Girl Scout group that will be singing carols,” Harper said, and those who drive through this year will “get to see all the residents and their decorated cottages, they’ll get to have a little snack here, and then they’ll get to vote for their best-dressed cottage.”
The entire community, including 25 cottages and the main building, have been festively decorated by both residents and staff to celebrate the holiday season with thousands of holiday lights adorning facades and foliage.
The public is welcome to drive throughout the community, vote for their favorite decorated cottage, and enjoy free grilled hot dogs, chips and hot chocolate as holiday music plays on loudspeakers throughout their drive, according to a news release.
The cottages this year “are sponsored by local businesses. Arkansas Hospice has one, we’ve got some local home health agencies that are sponsoring them, and we’ve got some elder law firms that are sponsoring,” Harper said.
“They’re all decorating their respective cottages that they chose and then they’ll put signs out. So when the residents come through and vote we’ll be able to choose the winner and then they’ll get a prize that we will give to the company and the res
ident as well,” she said. “A winner will be announced and we will be giving a prize to the sponsoring business and to the resident.” If visitors cannot make it out today, they can still drive through and enjoy the lights through Jan. 2, she said.