Christmas Wonderland bringing holiday lights — Alton’s Rock Spring Park sees about 350 vehicles Saturday

A line of vehicles make their way toward the exit of Christmas Wonderland in Rock Spring Park Saturday evening. The annual light display opened Friday, and will continue through Dec. 27. Volunteers at the park said about 350 vehicles came through Saturday night. less A line of vehicles make their way toward the exit of Christmas Wonderland in Rock Spring Park Saturday evening. The annual light display opened Friday, and will continue through Dec. 27. Volunteers at the park ... more Photo: Scott Cousins/The Telegraph Photo: Scott Cousins/The Telegraph Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Christmas Wonderland bringing holiday lights — Alton’s Rock Spring Park sees about 350 vehicles Saturday 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

ALTON — Christmas is about tradition, including traveling to see elaborate displays of Christmas lights.

That is something that Joe and Samantha Flatt, of Jerseyville, wanted to do with their 14-month-old daughter, Elaina, so on Saturday they took her to Rock Spring Park to see the Christmas Wonderland display.

“We wanted to start a tradition with her,” Samantha Flatt said. “Last year she was just too little. This year she can actually interact and see everything. She loves the lights.”

The annual display opened Friday.

The roughly 1.5 mile drive through the park features more than three million lights, with displays showing off both local history, landmarks and traditional Christmas stories. Visitors also can visit Santa and vote for their favorite tree among 26 decorated by schools and other groups.

A walk-through night with no cars allowed is set for today with admission cost $1 per person.

Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 5 to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 27. Admission cost $7 for cars and small vans, and $1 per person for passenger vehicles holding 10 or more.

On Saturday about 350 vehicles drove through, causing an occasional bottleneck as the cars and trucks made their way along the roads.

“Everybody was really worried at first that we wouldn’t have very many because at five o’clock there were only three cars here,” said Laura Robinson, a volunteer from the River of Life Church youth group, about an hour after the display started. “It’s going really well now.”

Retired volunteers known as the “Grandpa Gang” put the display together, but the nightly operations are run by volunteer organizations.

“This is my fifth year,” Robinson said. “I usually do it with my work, Evergreen Place (a senior living home), so I’m going to be back here Wednesday night.”

She said it is “really a lot of fun,” but requires at least 15 volunteers.

Two of them, Elizabeth Colley, 13, a member of the church youth group, and Jenny Declue, one of the group’s sponsors, where in the lower park near the picnic area, collecting money and distributing ballots for Christmas tree voting.

“It’s really fun,” Elizabeth said. “We get to meet a lot of new people.”

Declue agreed.

“It kind of makes your night to see them happy,” she said.

The only complaint they had was it was getting cold.

“My toes are frozen,” Declue said.

They also had not had a chance to see the rest of the lights.

“I’ll probably come through Christmas Eve with my family, like we normally do,” Colley said.

Many people drove a long distance to see the lights, like Ted Caldwell, of Gillespie.

“We’ve been out here a few times, and we wanted to check it out this year,” he said. “It’s pretty nice. The kids like it and it gets you in the Christmas spirit.”

For many it is a tradition.

“We just always come down through here,” said Elyse Herring, of Brighton. “It’s just been a yearly tradition since we’ve been little. Twenty-ish years, as long as I can remember.”

Tia Wilson, of Springfield, Illinois, had been visiting family in the Riverbend.

“I think it’s pretty awesome,” she said. “We don’t have to get out of the car unless you want to see Santa. It’s a long drive, so it keeps the kids occupied for a while”

Santa, played that night by River of Life Youth Pastor Tim Smith, was at the top of the park, and was having a busy night.

He said most of the kids were very happy to see him.

But not everybody appreciated him, including Elaina Flatt.

“She did not like Santa,” said her mother. “Other than that, everything was good.”

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.