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Annual spectacle features aquarter-million lights and ashower of “snow” flakes

By B.C. Manionbcmanion@cnewspubs.com

The rocking chairs and benches beganfilling at least a half-hour before the 4thAnnual Symphony of Lights was set to beginon a recent Tuesday night at The Shops atWiregrass.

There was a chill in the air, as the specta-tors assembled.

Some arrived by strollers.Others came inwheelchairs.Many showed up in groups offour or five or more, with generations offamilies settling in to watch the show to-gether.

By the time the spectacle began, hun-dreds of people were in the mall’s centercourt.

The show is a dazzling display of flashinglights synchronized to tunes by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and the Boston PopsOrchestra. During one of the songs,snowflakes – well,actually soap flakes – flut-ter down from the sky.

The star of the show is a 55-footChristmas tree,which is flanked by two 25-foot trees.Trees throughout the mall are alsolit up,with some programmed to go on andoff.

The spectacle of lights and color is anobvious crowd pleaser.Little kids jump anddance,while parents and grandparents snapphotos.

Before and after the show, people posefor photographs in front of the giant tree.

“I think it’s vibrant. It’s alive,” said RosePonce,who lives in Lexington Oaks,a neigh-borhood in Wesley Chapel.“The kids lovethe snow. It’s the closest thing they’ll see tosnow in Florida.”

Ponce, 34, went to the show with herhusband,Steven,and their two kids;her sis-ter and her two kids; a friend and her two

kids;and,Ponce’s mother.“We’ve come here every year since it

started,”said Ponce.“Now that the kids areolder,we’ll be going at least once a week.”

Her friend, Stacy Fisher, said her daugh-ters “love the music.They love the snow.

“We come a couple of times a week,”saidFisher, also 34. She lives in Meadow Pointe,another subdivision in Wesley Chapel.

Twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Cruz –

Arts, crafts — and treatsLutz resident David Scamporino attended the Lutz Arts and Crafts Festival at Lake Parkwith his family on Dec. 4 and took some time to enjoy some flavored ice, one of many tastyoptions at the annual holiday event. (Photos by Glenn Gefers of www.photosby3g.com) For complete coverage, see page 7.

A LutzSchoolhouseChristmasBy B.C. Manionbcmanion@cnewspubs.com

In a community that treasures its tradi-tions,Lutz is gearing up for its 15th annualChristmas House at the Old Lutz School.

The school and its grounds are deckedout in seasonal lights,giant plywood holi-day cards, inflatables, super-sized candycanes,a Nativity scene,wreaths and otherdécor.

The goal is to spread good cheerthroughout the holidays, said PhyllisHoedt,who co-chairs the Citizens for theOld Lutz School,which maintains the his-toric schoolhouse at 18819 N.US 41.

Celebrations planned for this year in-clude old-fashioned carols, a “Breakfastwith Santa,”and tours of the school,whichhas been transformed into a ChristmasHouse.

Symphony of Lights thrills young and old

Hundreds of people turn out to the “Symphony in Lights” show at The Shops at Wiregrass.The Wesley Chapel mall has been presenting a synchronized Christmas lights and musicshow every holiday season since it opened four years ago.(Photo by B.C. Manion)

See LIGHTS, page 15

See SCHOOLHOUSE, page 15