Jingle in the Park draws hundreds for fun and Santa Claus
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 13, 2015 3:05 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Pandy Ellis holds the hands of her daughter Ava, 3, and nephew Connor Bunn, 5, as they skate around the artificial ice skating rink Friday night at Herman Park during the annual Jingle in the Park. The two-night event also featured candy cane hunts, music, movies, s'mores and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Keiana Carraway helps her son Jamere Williams, 9, make a s'more Friday night during Jingle in the Park.
Herman Park was flooded with more than 500 people on Friday night as Goldsboro's annual two-day holiday event, Jingle in the Park, got under way.
There were movies, ice skating, train rides, Christmas carols, hay rides, s'mores and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Shamarea McDuffie, 6, braved the ice skating rink on her wobbly skates, pushing here way back and forth across the area taking the occasional tumble and twirling a few spins.
"It's the hardest because it's hard," she said.
The rink was made out of the same material kitchen cutting boards are made of and is made to be slick with food oil, said Park and Recreation Director Scott Barnard.
"We actually bought it and got it for an incredible deal," Barnard said. "We bought about 3/4 of it at an auction for about $500 and bought the rest to snap it all together. It was actually in a former Carolina Hurricanes player's basement, and Dick's Sporting Goods gave us several hundred dollars off of the skates."
Barnard said that while the skates do cut into the material a bit, the food oil makes it slick again and does not stain clothes.
"There are a ton more people here right now at this time than there were last year at our peak time," Barnard said. "It's usually pretty slow from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., but it's been busier now than it was last year."
Four-year-old Makiyah Phillips made her first s'more ever at the event on Friday night.
She said she likes the marshmallow part of s'mores the most.
"Probably because she gets to stick it in the fire," her mother, Condra Fleming, joked. "It's her first time out here and she's definitely enjoying herself."
Marissa Hamel, 11, was the first in line to sit in Santa Claus' lap.
As she walked towards Santa Claus, she stopped at Mrs. Claus.
"You look so pretty tonight," she said.
The little girl was elated, as it was her first time getting to sit and Santa Claus' lap and tell him what she wanted for Christmas.
Her friend, 5-year-old Cheyenne Cobb, said it was her second time getting to talk to Santa Claus this year.
"I want a For Real Friends unicorn, and Barbie dream house, the Barbies that come with a bicycle and a Barbie that comes with puppies," Hamel said.
Cobb wanted much of the same, saying she wanted any kind of Barbie or For Real Friends toys that Santa would bring her.
Hamel said she had seen Santa Claus many times at Berkeley Mall this year, but that actually meeting him was great.
"Santa is so cool," Hamel said. "And Mrs. Claus was just so pretty tonight. I'm really glad I finally got to talk to him."