School groups, service clubs contribute legwork behind Riverglo celebration
Boy Scouts, students from several Farmington schools pitch in to help
FARMINGTON — From start to finish, the annual Riverglo holiday celebration is a community event that relies on the participation of young people.
That’s according to D’Ann Waters, president of the River Reach Foundation, the Farmington nonprofit group that organizes Riverglo each year. This year’s edition of the event — which features approximately 2,000 luminarias positioned in Berg Park along the Animas River from Archway Court to the Little Pavilion — will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2.
Waters said choral groups from Piedra Vista and Farmington high schools, and Country Club and Ladera elementary schools will perform during Riverglo, while members of the Boy Scouts of America and service clubs from Piedra Vista, Farmington and Rocinante high schools pitch in to perform other duties, including lighting the luminarias, and selling hot chocolate, hot cider and popcorn.
“We even have some of them serving as elves helping Santa,” Waters said. “So we have a lot of youth involvement in all this, and I think that’s a good thing.”
City of Farmington workers will begin the preparations for the event on Thursday, Dec. 1 when they set up tents in the park. Students from Hermosa Middle School — who have spent the past several weeks folding the small paper bags used in the event — will arrive at the park at 9 a.m. Friday to begin filling the bags with sand and candles before placing them along the paths. Boy Scouts and Piedra Vista Key Club members will light the luminarias shortly before Riverglo begins that evening.
The event itself also will feature a Nativity scene, and appearances by Santa Claus and the Grinch. Holiday trinkets will be sold at the River Reach Terrace.
Members of the Boy Scouts will return to the park at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 to remove the luminarias, Water said. She said the River Reach Foundation uses the proceeds raised from its annual Riverfest event over Memorial Day weekend to purchase the supplies for Riverglo, which features free admission.
Call 505-716-4405 for more information.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 ormeasterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.