TAYLOR — Santa’s Magic Forest, the largest fundraiser for the Downriver Fish & Loaves Food Pantry, opens Nov. 28. The event runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21.
The Magic Forest site moves for the second straight season, this time to old Eureka Heights Elementary School, 25125 Eureka Road. The Magic Forest will take over the gymnasium, accompanying hallway and multiple classrooms. The old school, closed by the Taylor School District this year, offers onsite parking and easy-in, easy-out access.
Last year, the event name was changed to “Santa’s Magic Playground” and was housed at Kudos Taproom and Fieldhouse. Previous to that, it had been located during the holiday season in the Heritage Park Activities Building for decades, which has since been turned into Heritage Hall and rented out to the public for special events.
“We really want to thank the Taylor School District for their cooperation in this effort,” Fish & Loaves CEO Stephanie McNees said as a key group met at the school in mid-September. “Former Board of Education member Kyle Wright, now the director of the Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, worked hard to make this happen, as well as many others. Now we have a lot of work to do in preparation for the event.”
That work included cleaning and preparing the area of the school for delivery of the displays during the final week of September. During the first days of October, Buildings and Grounds Foreman John Mudreyko, his team and Santa’s elves were dropping off Santa’s Magic Forest displays and other key items.
Then the Fish & Loaves team took over, setting up the display, which will fill the entire gym and some of the adjacent hallway. Santa and Mrs. Claus along with some other displays will also be housed in nearby classrooms.
The schedule for Santa’s Magic Forest will be 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Santa’s Magic Forest has been widely known as Downriver’s finest holiday display and includes antique decor from JL Hudson Co. and more.
For more information, go to www.flcfp.org/smp.