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Louisville Metro Parks & Recreation will once again spread holiday cheer at WinterFest, South Louisville’s most popular annual holiday event. This year’s free celebration – in the beautifully restored Iroquois Amphitheater on December 9-10, from 6 to 9 p.m. each night – includes a dazzling display of more than 200,000 lights, along with live entertainment, craft activities, games, reindeer rides and a visit from Santa Claus.

Now in its 17th year, WinterFest will draw as many as 15,000 people to historic Iroquois Park over a two-day period. Holiday revelers can park their cars in the Iroquois Amphitheater parking lot, located near the intersection of New Cut Road and Kenwood Drive.  This year, Metro Parks & Recreation has added caroling at the amphitheater’s main entrance, to entertain visitors as they arrive at WinterFest.

Metro Parks & Recreation has assembled a dazzling lineup of live holiday entertainment, featuring local performing groups made up of children and adults.  A portion of the amphitheater’s seating area will be covered with a festive Arctic Wonderland display.  In addition to telling Santa Claus whether they’ve been naughty or nice, children can write letters to Santa that Metro Parks will deliver after the event.  After that, visitors can watch toys being made in the Elf Workshop, or enjoy the Community Center Tree Pavilion, featuring trees decorated by participants from 13 community centers operated by Metro Parks & Recreation.

This year’s sponsors include Sister Bean’s Coffee House, Swag’s Sport Shoes, Whole Foods Market and FedEx Kinko’s.

“The recently-renovated Iroquois Amphitheater is the perfect venue for showcasing local professional and amateur performing groups to the thousands of visitors who att/files/storyimages/WinterFest each year,” said Mayor Jerry Abramson. “With Santa Claus, live entertainment, and plenty of hot chocolate, we expect this year’s WinterFest celebration to help our hometown get into the holiday spirit.”

Information about WinterFest is available online at ://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/winterfest_2006.htm. The Iroquois Amphitheater, built in 1938 by employees from the Works Progress Administration, reopened in time for the 2004 performance season after an extensive $8.9 million renovation. The Iroquois Amphitheater is the official amphitheater of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the home of Music Theatre Louisville; it is managed and marketed by Triangle Talent, Inc.

WinterFest 2006 Performance Schedule

Saturday, December 9

6 p.m.               Louisville Community Band

6:30 p.m.          Step-n-out Dance Studio

7 p.m.               South Louisville Community Center Flag Team

7:15 p.m.          Iroquois Middle School Band Ensemble

7:30 p.m.          Jennifer's Academy of Dance

7:45 p.m.          Folsom Academy of the Arts

8:15 p.m.          Ursuline School for the Performing Arts

8:30 p.m.          Dancensation

Sunday, December 10

6 p.m.               Step-n-out Dance Studio

6:30 p.m.          Holiday Songs by Vocalist Ann Robinson-Burks

7 p.m.               Douglass Community Center Rockerettes

7:15 p.m.          Jennifer's Academy of Dance

7:30 p.m.          Ursuline School for the Performing Arts

7:45 p.m.          Parkhill Community Center Step-Team

8 p.m.               Emily Edwards Fields Song & Dance

8:15 p.m.          Bagpipes by Karen Mackenzie

8:30 p.m.          Folsom Academy of the Arts