Dry and chilly may not be the best weather forecast for some events, but it’s the perfect recipe for tonight’s City of Columbus Christmas Tree bonfire.
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Riverwalk near the Old Highway 82 pedestrian bridge. According to the forecast, temperatures will be in the mid-30s for the bonfire.
“I think the cold weather just adds something to it,” said Nancy Carpenter of the Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is again sponsoring the event with the city. “Last year, based on the amount of hand-warmers we gave out and the amount of hot chocolate we provided, there were several hundred people. We expect that tonight’s bonfire will attract at least that many people.”
Last year, the city and the CVB put together the first bonfire together on short notice. After the success of last year’s event, the planning for tonight’s event got an earlier start and city officials say far more trees will be available to burn. This year, residents could leave their trees for curbside pick-up. Last year, residents had to take their trees to selected city facilities.
One concern that emerged last week won’t be a real issue, fortunately. Last week’s heavy rains flooded some areas of the Riverwalk, but Carpenter said the lingering effects of the flooding is minimal.
“The only thing that affects us really, is the lower parking area, which isn’t flooded but is still closed,” Carpenter said. “People can still park in the upper lots and take the sidewalk over to the pedestrian bridge, which is where all of the activities are taking place.”
Like last year, Chinese lanterns — a nod to the new year — will be released at the beginning of the event. The CVB will also provide pocket hand-warmers to the first 100 attendees, along with hot chocolate as visitors gather on the bridge to watch the bonfire below.
“Everything is good to go,” Carpenter said.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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