Mill Creek prepares for Winter Celebration

YOUNGSTOWN — A sea of red, white and pink poinsettias gathered around a Christmas tree, gingerbread people dangled from the ceiling and the alluring smell of Fraser fir trees decorated to perfection are just some of the elements at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Workers hustled to create the whimsical Gingerbread Lane first seen as guests enter through the doors for the Winter Celebration with the Gingerbread Garden theme that begins Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fellows is at 123 McKinley Ave.

“We want your heart to smile when you walk through the gardens,” said Lynn Zocolo, horticulture educator for Mill Creek MetroParks and the coordinator of Winter Celebration.

The celebration has been a community event for more than a decade and has grown every year. It first started as a Sunday afternoon activity. It now runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays until Jan. 4. It will be closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Guests can see floral designs in Gingerbread Lane at the gardens and 46 trees decorated by local organizations. For children this year, there is Delphinium’s Gingerbread Shoppe. Inside are learning stations for children such as the scent board for them to connect different scents with the seasoning, such as cinnamon and ginger, for example.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com