7th Annual Christmas Festival


The 7th Annual Christmas Festival took place December 12-14, 2014.  Entertainment Friday night in the Carefree Gardens Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion included music from choirs, quartets, and soloists from Saint Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church in Cave Creek, and Desert Hills Presbyterian Church in Carefree.  Awards for best decorated Gift Market vendor booths were presented by Magic Bird Festivals owner Roberta Toombs-Rechlin.  The Desert Foothills Theater booth, using the theme from the Disney movie "Frozen", won 1st place.  The Kids' Zone, sponsored by Chris Mellon & Company, and the Mountain of Snow, sponsored by Sanderson Lincoln, were popular as always.  The Food Court had many fun and delicious selections for those who wanted to grab a quick bite during the festivities.
     
Magic Bird Festivals, the art of fun
https://vimeo.com/115040669
"This video is about Magic Bird Festivals, the art of fun"
 http://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/115040669/5c3778bbaf
 
Although it rained on Saturday afternoon, the weather cooperated and cleared in time for the Electric Light Parade on Saturday night.  The parade was led by the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona organization, which acted as Grand Marshall.  The Ambassador's Award for Best Use of Lights went to the Carefree Water Company.  The Award for Best Non Profit float went to Foothills Animal Rescue.  The Director's Award for Most Creative went to America's U.S. Miss.  The Mayor's Award for Most Original went to Good Shepherd of the Hills.  The President's Award for Best Overall went to P Lazy P Group.  Congratulations to all the winners!  I know the decision were not easy to make.  This year's Parade, sponsored by APS, had the best array of lit floats to date.
    
Carefree Christmas Parade: 12/13/14
https://vimeo.com/115244316
"This video is about Carefree Christmas Parade: 12/13/14"
 
http://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/115244316/497317bb05
 
As always, the fireworks after the Parade were fabulous!  Herbert shot them with his camera in burst mode at 13 shots per second, so the video shows the fireworks exploding as the frames progress.  He filmed the finale using straight video mode.         
Carefree Christmas Festival Fireworks
https://vimeo.com/115140348
"This video is about Carefree Christmas Festival Fireworks"
http://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/115140348/980788b35f
 

The Sunday Pet Parade and Adoption Event, organized by Foothills Animal Rescue, brought out many dogs for the Pet Parade, as well as a horse, a miniature horse, a donkey, and a pig.  FAR volunteers brought numerous adorable dogs who were up for adoption and looking for their furever homes, with FAR's Eddie Nichols MCing the events.  Of course, Santa was on hand during the entire 3 day event, and was available on Sunday morning to have his photo taken with pets.
    
FAR Pet Parade and Adoption Event: 12/14/14
https://vimeo.com/114946878
"This video is about FAR Pet Parade and Adoption Event: 12/14/14"
http://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/114946878/36c7cb6a14   
 
If anyone has trouble opening the videos using the boxes with the pretty pictures, plain links are provided below the boxes that will open the videos, and they seem to work for everyone.  Go to full screen, sound on, to get the best viewing results.  All the videos in this issue of Carefree Truth were photographed and produced by Herbert.  For more great Christmas Festival scenes, go to www.carefreechristmasfestival.com.  Photos taken by Kim Prince, owner of ProvenMedia, the official PR company for the Festival, are on display there.   
 
 
 
The Festival is funded each year by a combination of the Town of Carefree, several Corporate Sponsors, and by most of our local merchants.  Please support our merchants. Banners with the sponsor names are hanging in the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion and are listed in a full page Arizona Republic advertisement.  I am also listing them here.  Many thanks to those who support the Festival through generous donations, and also a big thank you to the many people who do the behind the scenes work to make the Carefree Christmas Festival such a success each year.
 
 
Sponsors of the 7th Annual Carefree Christmas Festival
 
Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Disciplines/Mike Krahe
Ace Hardware
Alberto Ristorante
Allstate-Rebecca Niessink
American Federal Rare Coin&Bullion
Anozira, Manny & Peggy Gonzales
APS
Area Disposal
Arizona Territorial Antiques
AZ Auto Hunters
AZ Wines
Badu
Bags 'n Rags
Baroni Fashion, Tailoring &Tuxedo
Barro's Pizza
Beauty & Bliss Salon
Bertam Signs & Graphics
Black Mountain Coffee Shop
Bob Parks Gallery
Bosco's Biscuits
Brix Wines
Butte Easy Street
The Cactus Lady
Cactus Shadows High School Key Club
Cafe Bink
Carefree Allstate, Rebecca Niessink
Carefree Bistro
Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce
Carefree Christmas Festival Committee
Carefree Crystal Clear Pools
Carefree Market Place
Carefree Outdoor Living
Carefree Public Works Dept.
Carefree Sentinel Rock HOA
Carefree Shell Station
Carefree Town Staff
Carefree Truth, Lyn & Herbert Hitchon
Cellar 13
Chris Mellon & Company
CITYSunTimes
Clark's Pharmacy
John Crane
Custom Eyes
Dental Studio 101
Desert Foothills Chronicle
Desert Foothills Landscape
Discount Tire
Easy Street Shoe and Watch Repair
Eco Blu Pools
Edward Jones, Noah Kendrick AAMS
Elegant Affairs
English Rose Tea Room
Mike Farrar
Fenwick Investments
Foothills Animal Rescue
Giordano's Trattoria Romana
Graham Surveying & Engineering
Havana Cafe
Bob Hesselgesser
Hidden Rock
Holmes Construction
Images AZ Magazine
It's a Nail Thing
Jackie's Fine Apparel
Jane Ceasor, Ceasor Insurance Consultants
Kiwanis Club of Carefree
Let There Be Light
Liberty Utilities
The Little Barber Shop
Lowes
Madura Cigars & Emporium
Magic Bird Festivals
Marks' Barber Shop
Merle Normal Cosmetics
Glenn Miller
National Bank of Arizona
Native American Gallery
Palm Desert Realty
Pet Food Depot
Proven Media
Melissa Price
Montacino Carefree HOA
Gary Niess
Ortega's Turquoise Trail
Les and Mary Peterson
Pizzafarros
Rural/Metro Ambulance
Sanderson Lincoln
Marty Saltzman
David and Binka Schwan
Scottsdale Bead Supply
Sherman Howard
Signature Salon
Southwest Gas
State Farm Insurance, Bill Mulliniks
Storyteller Indian Store
Studio C...a beauty lounge
Sue Bickerdyke Interiors
Sundial Cafe
Sunstate Equipment Co.
Tech 4 Life
Technically Integrated/Toby Payne
Thomas Jewelers
Tobias Automotive
Toll Brothers
Nancy Totten, Realty Executives
Town of Carefree
T's Construction
Tyler Green, Architect
The UPS Store-Carefree
The UPS Store-Cave Creek
The UPS Store-Scottsdale
Veitch Media
Venues Cafe
Dan Wainwright
Victor Gelbron
Wild Holly Gallery
Yahn's Jewelry