Posted on 12/20/2007 6:14:09 AM PST by Between the Lines
Known as “Christmas Town,” the quiet little town of McAdenville, which lies along the South Fork River in Gaston County, North Carolina, comes alive each year as the holiday season draws near.
The tradition of decorating evergreen trees with Christmas lights dates back to 1956 when the McAdenville Men’s Club conceived of the idea of decorating a few trees around the McAdenville Community Center.
From the nine trees decorated that first year, the effort had grown, in 1997, to more than 400 trees being decorated with more than 425,000 red, green, and white bulbs.
Trees decorated ranged in height from four feet to more than 80 feet.
Only live trees are used, with the number of lights per tree ranging from 500 to 5,000.
One of the favourite viewing sites is the lake in the center of the town, circled by 75 trees ranging in size from 15 to 30 feet.
A fountain located in the center of the lake jets water 75 feet into the air.
Overlooking the lake is a large display of Santa and his reindeer.
Lights glow nightly from Dec. 1 through Dec. 27. As many as 300,000 vehicles pass through McAdenville, a town of only 832 residents.
With all the current news of cities and towns renaming their Christmas trees "Holiday trees" and the banning nativity and other Christmas displays, that there is still a place that embraces and celebrates Christmas. That place is McAdenville NC, where the official town slogan is "Christmas Town USA".
I saw a piece on this on “Our State” recently. Nice lights!
Frankenmuth Michigan is also known as a Christmas town. I haven’t been there in years so I don’t know if PC has infected it yet.
How cool!!!
Merry Christmas
uh oh.. call the ACLU...
by these lights are these people trying to suggest that the winter holiday has something to do with christ?
god forbid the ymake such a claim.
The ACLU can Kiss Mah Grits!
Around here the towns don’t have “Holiday” Parades, they have CHRISTMAS Parades. In fact 2 of the 3 prize winning floats in one parade were sponsored by local churches!!!!
i was being sarcastic incase no one got that.
we need to keep christ in christmas
Wonderful piece and apparently a wonderful town!
I realized your sarcasm, I just get a kick out of the reactions of so many people when they hear that there still exist towns in this country that actually celebrate CHRISTmas!
Must be hell to live there in December. I once passed several miles of cars backed up waiting at the McAdenville exit.
They keep a back road open only for residences use. I am sure that most living there enjoy it and don't mind. They knew what they were in for when they bought a home in McAdenville. It is not like this is something new.
I feel sorry for the surrounding towns of Lowell, Belmont and Cramerton. They get all of the hassles of the traffic, but they do not share in the fun of it all.
Thanks for sharing!
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