FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – In spite of a tumultuous year with inflation being a Grinch, Flagler County has played the part of Whoville extraordinarily well, spreading holiday cheer for all this holiday season.
Kicking off with what has become a tradition for countless families across the region, the City of Palm Coast lit their Christmas tree while the Rotary Club of Flagler County lit up more than 50 animated displays in Central Park, the weekend after Thanksgiving.
The first weekend of December belongs to Flagler Beach and this year featured an array of festivities starting with First Friday’s student performances.
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston had the honor of lighting the city’s Christmas tree in Veteran’s Park alongside fellow city commissioners, and visitors enjoyed the ‘Deck the Chairs’ displays as part of the third installment of the Starry Nights campaign.
“This is one of our most favorite First Fridays of the year as the event where we have children from the different schools come out and the bands. This is truly a family-friendly First Friday,” said Johnston enthusiastically.
Helping rally the businesses through the Flagler Beach Business Bureau, John Lulgjuraj, co-owner of Oceanside Beach Bar & Grill was pleased by the evolution of the event from the previous years.
“Starry Nights is one of the most uniting Flagler Beach festivals. We tried to add on to all the spectacular things happening over the holidays, bringing all the wonderful events together as Starry Nights,” he said, adding the finishing touches to his restaurant’s Deck the Chairs submission before the lights went on.
“For the rest of the month you’ll have a beautifully decorated park, city, businesses and community all coming together to enjoy the holidays.”
While the Flagler Beach Pier is not lit with stars due to late season hurricanes, businesses could pick up one of the five or eight foot stars to add to their business décor this holiday season.
“These stars are very special. It was right after COVID the pier was lit with these stars and we want to keep building on the positive momentum,” said Lulgjuraj.
Nothing compares to the Holidays at the Beach Parade on State Road A1A, and organizers were thrilled with participation from both the parade entrants as well as the viewers.
“I think everybody is feeling extra festive,” said Rotary Club of Flagler Beach board member Sandra McDermott. “If not the biggest, it’s one of the biggest parades we’ve ever seen.”
“It’s been a tough year and this is something the community all gets together with,” said fellow Rotarian Laura Biddle.
Parade judges Amelia Fulmer, Tracy Callahan-Hennessey and Suzy Gamblain deemed with following entries 2022’s winners: Most Creative – Marketing 2 Go, Best Holiday Spirit – Flagler Beach Church, Judges’ Choice – Black & Gold of Flagler County (Pittsburg Steelers Fan Club), Best Performance – the Matanzas High School Marching Band.
The day culminated in the area, if not the state’s, largest community holiday boat parade with more than 100 boats (90 officially registered) taking to the Intracoastal Waterway in celebration of the holidays.
“Hundreds of hours were invested by these boaters in creating this magic for Palm Coast. It couldn’t have been a more perfect parade,” said Palm Coast Yacht Club Holiday Boat Parade organizer Sarah Ulis.
Adding to the magic of the holidays, the City of Palm Coast transitioned the annual Starlight Parade into the Starlight Festival in 2021. The stationary floats and displays offer families a chance to walk and get a closer look at the holiday-themed creations.
There were of course, other events designed to help those in need and the community has come through time and again from events like Shop with a Cop with FCSO employees raising more than $18,000 for the community’s children hosted by the Flagler Sheriff’s Children’s Charities, and Christmas with Community Heroes with county employees raising more than $4,500 to take local children shopping, to the Rotary Club of Flagler Beach’s annual Project SHARE, the Margarita Society’s annual Margarita Ball, Christmas Come True’s tremendous effort, A Christmas to Remember serving foster children, and more.
“The Christmas spirit is alive and well in Flagler County. As I drive through my neighborhood I see more Holiday lights than every before! And giving seems to be in full gear with our local Rotary clubs, Christmas Come True and many more,” said Kim Fitzgerald.
“I just love seeing the joy on the faces of the children. That is what Christmas is all about! These events make you feel a kid yourself,” said Kerri Henderson, Flagler sheriff’s police athletic league.
