By Cindy Peterson
City of Leesburg Gears Up for Spectacular Holiday Events
The City of Leesburg is set to usher in the 2023 holiday season with a bang as they prepare for a series of festive events under the leadership of their newly appointed special event manager, Maggie Lyden. Maggie brings a wealth of experience to her role, and she’s all geared up to create memorable experiences for the community, continuing the tradition of successful events established over 28 years by the Leesburg Partnership.
The city’s inaugural event under Maggie’s management promises to be a grand affair. On December 2, Leesburg will host the highly anticipated “Leesburg Christmas Festival,” and this year’s theme is “A Christmas Cinema Spectacular.”
“We are ready and excited for this weekend,” Maggie says. “The festival itself is new this year, with free ice skating, holiday music, the Grinch, Santa, camel rides and so much more. We hope our families will come out and enjoy this time together.”
The celebrations kick off on Saturday, December 2, in downtown Leesburg with the Christmas Festival and the 56th annual Leesburg Christmas Parade. The Festival will open its doors at 1 p.m. in Towne Square, offering an array of attractions including ice skating, live holiday music, a variety of vendors, delicious food and beverages, and much more. Festival-goers can also keep an eye out for the Grinch from 1 to 4 p.m. and have the chance to meet Santa Claus, who will be greeting visitors from 2 to 5 p.m.
At 6 p.m., the “Christmas Cinema Spectacular Parade” will begin its journey down Main Street in downtown Leesburg. The parade will feature hundreds of participants, including music and dance groups, local businesses, civic organizations, and, of course, Santa Claus himself.
For those who are unable to join the festivities in person, the parade will be broadcast live on Lakefront TV, making it accessible to a wider audience. You can tune in to Lakefront TV on Xfinity Channel 22, Spectrum Channel 497, and various streaming platforms such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, ROKU, and LakeFrontTV.com.
The enchantment continues on Sunday, December 3, with the “Light-Up Venetian Gardens” event, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Ski Beach. Attendees can expect live music courtesy of the Leesburg High School Madrigals, food trucks, and bounce houses.
The main highlight of the evening will be the Light-Up ceremony starting at 6 p.m., unveiling a display featuring over 500,000 dazzling lights. To cap off this magical evening, the “Christmas on the Water Boat Parade” will set sail around the basin at 6:15 p.m., offering a picturesque view of decorated boats gliding through the waterways.
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
