By Steve Plutt
For me and everyone I knew, the greatest of all holidays in Woodland Park was Christmas. Yes, it was indeed a wonderful time for adults, but for us kids, it was an amazing and astonishing experience. Growing up here in the early 1960’s, the spirt of Christmas was exceptional. And what added to that was that the population was less than 700 souls. The houses around town were decorated with wreaths and Christmas lights and small displays. And back then, Woodland lacked all of the light pollution that exists today, so all the houses had a nice warm Christmas glow, cloaked in a snowy darkness.
The stage at the old school gymnasium (now the Cultural Center) was perfect for our school Christmas plays which included the school band and choir. Christmas cheer was everywhere, but ice skating at the pond was a special time during the holidays. We’d play games on the ice like tag and black snake. We even had a Yule Log in the pond fireplace that was prefect for warming up by. We’d drink hot chocolate and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. With no adult supervision, we were all on our own, and we were all well behaved and friends, just enjoying a night of Christmas ice skating and a nice, big fire.
Hay rides were not uncommon and were fun times with lots of Christmas songs being sung. Johnnie Wondergem (former mayor of Woodland) and his wife Jo, always made Christmas wreaths every year for the town.
The local Lions Club sold trees at the Go-Kart track beside highway 24, at the Green Mountain Falls exit. We’d go sledding on Motel X Hill along with dozens of others that would drive up from Colorado Springs. The Manitou Park Grange, the Eastern Star and Mason’s always had their holiday dinners and most of the church organizations had their Christmas plays and get-togethers. Our local newspaper, the Ute Pass Courier and its owner Aggie Schupp, put on a Christmas Light Contest every year with prizes to the winners.
Both the Progressive Dames Extension Club and the Woodland Park Home Demonstration Club would fill baskets with food and gifts and deliver to the nursing home in Cripple Creek and shut-ins living in Woodland. Bert Bergstrom always would dress up as Santa and would provide stockings filled with Christmas goodies for every child in town.
Yes, for me, Christmas in Woodland Park was nothing short of a Norman Rockwell place to be!
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