Christmas in the Vineyard
Published 10:38 am Wednesday, December 13, 2023
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Christmas in the Vineyard is returning to Five Points Farm this Saturday. The event is free to the public and will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. CT. Five Points Farm is located at 2185 County Rd 261.
The farm’s main attraction at the event is the hay ride that takes riders throughout the 20-acre farm. The ride goes by many holiday displays and is narrated by a guide that tells the Christian Christmas story. The whole route takes around 12 minutes, according to co-owner of the farm, Jeff Monroe.
This will be the fifth year Jeff and his wife and co-owner, Cindy Monroe put on the event. The couple was inspired by Collinwood Luminaries in Opelika, AL, which has been going on for over 50 years. Jeff said they wanted to create a free Christmas event for their Five Points community.
“The north end of the county is just so far from stuff… So we just wanted to have something as a community event where people could come and let their kids have the ability to see Santa Claus…and it be free, you know, so it’s not hitting everybody’s pocketbook during the Christmas time,” said Jeff.
He adds that the farm sends out invitations to everyone with a Five Points address. This year there were around 700 mailing cards. Although Jeff adds it is open to everyone.
“We will always say [Christmas in the Vineyard] is a gift to the community from us,” he said.
This is the first Christmas in the Vineyard in two years, having stopped it during the height of COVID-19. The family-oriented event has new games this year for the kids, including a snowball fight and a ring toss with deer antlers.
There will also be a Christmas costume contest. There is a $50 prize in four categories: children ages 0-5, 6-12, 13-18, and adults 18 and up. Although Monroe’s Christmas spirit may be hard to beat. He and Cindy will be greeting their guests at the entrance to the farm; Jeff will be the guy in the red sequin jacket and top hat.