As the evening approached for the Winter Festival, there was suddenly a real flurry of action both in and around the Great Hall. Men and women were seen moving in and out; hanging decorations; raising a huge evergreen tree outside the main doors and stringing it with multicoloured lights; setting up tables and chairs within around a custom-made dancefloor; smuggling piles of wrapped presents inside and away from the curious eyes of the children who peered at all the furore.
The ice rink across the square was opened up, decorated itself with twinkling lights that reflected from the ice and snow that covered everything in the chill air. Around the rink and across the square was built a walkway of those glittering lights, lined with nutcrackers and snowmen, leading the way to the main doors of the Great Hall.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/IceRink.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ApproachtotheGreatHall.jpg
On the night itself, the doors would be flung open, arms open wide to accept the entrance of those who were ready to come and partake of the seasonal fun within. But first, stop and admire the tree - a fine, tall evergreen pine, bristling with unlit lights, and all but the first five feet of its branches dripping with decorations, baubles, and tinsel. And underneath, peeking out from beneath the greenery, a mound of wrapped presents, just waiting for a jolly pair of hands to give them out to all and sundry.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasTree.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Presents.jpg
As you stepped into the hall, stalls were being set up for the various displays and activities that would be available on the night. To the right, the tables and boxes waiting to be filled with the donations, both material and fiscal, of the festival goers for the use of those who had less and needed more. To the left, stalls laden with bits and pieces, glitter and string, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, paper, felt, glue, and all manner of other things that children (and adults!) can use to create an ornament for the tree, a decoration for their own home, whatever comes to mind.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChildrensStalls.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments3.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments2.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments4.jpg
Beside those stalls, others were being set up at which the festival goers could try their hands at decorating cakes and cookies, with the assistance of local cooks and caterers who will give their time voluntary for the evening. Set back from the main doors to complete the little arts and crafts square, yet more stalls were being laden with the home-made goods donated by workers throughout the city, which were to be on sale. All proceeds would go toward providing food, clothing, and shelter for those less fortunate within the walls of Rhy'Din city.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCakes3.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCakes2.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCookies.jpg
The ice rink across the square was opened up, decorated itself with twinkling lights that reflected from the ice and snow that covered everything in the chill air. Around the rink and across the square was built a walkway of those glittering lights, lined with nutcrackers and snowmen, leading the way to the main doors of the Great Hall.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/IceRink.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ApproachtotheGreatHall.jpg
On the night itself, the doors would be flung open, arms open wide to accept the entrance of those who were ready to come and partake of the seasonal fun within. But first, stop and admire the tree - a fine, tall evergreen pine, bristling with unlit lights, and all but the first five feet of its branches dripping with decorations, baubles, and tinsel. And underneath, peeking out from beneath the greenery, a mound of wrapped presents, just waiting for a jolly pair of hands to give them out to all and sundry.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasTree.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Presents.jpg
As you stepped into the hall, stalls were being set up for the various displays and activities that would be available on the night. To the right, the tables and boxes waiting to be filled with the donations, both material and fiscal, of the festival goers for the use of those who had less and needed more. To the left, stalls laden with bits and pieces, glitter and string, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, paper, felt, glue, and all manner of other things that children (and adults!) can use to create an ornament for the tree, a decoration for their own home, whatever comes to mind.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChildrensStalls.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments3.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments2.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/Ornaments4.jpg
Beside those stalls, others were being set up at which the festival goers could try their hands at decorating cakes and cookies, with the assistance of local cooks and caterers who will give their time voluntary for the evening. Set back from the main doors to complete the little arts and crafts square, yet more stalls were being laden with the home-made goods donated by workers throughout the city, which were to be on sale. All proceeds would go toward providing food, clothing, and shelter for those less fortunate within the walls of Rhy'Din city.
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCakes3.jpghttp://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCakes2.jpg http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab51/RhyDinLittleTheatre/Winterval%20Festival/ChristmasCookies.jpg