HAYRIDES — Hop On/Hop Off hayrides will be an addition to this year’s Christmas at Historic Beatty Park, set for Dec. 6. Guests can park their cars and take a hayride through the one mile heart of the park. The truck will run throughout the afternoon, providing a chance to hop off at various stops, including a live nativity, a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a kids crafting area and enjoying Christmas cookies and warm drinks, while supplies last. Each stop will have a warming station with heaters. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — In the quiet corners of Historic Beatty Park lie her childhood memories, memories that still whisper through the trees.

For Flora VerStraten-Merrin, that park is an old friend.

She, along with a group of volunteers known as the Friends of Beatty Park, have spent the last six years pouring their hearts into revitalizing the grounds, and bringing that old friend back to life.

Each December, their work blossoms into something extraordinary: Christmas at Historic Beatty Park.

It’s a labor of love that has become a gift to the community.

LIVE NATIVITY — Visitors will have an opportunity to observe, pet and feed the animals representing the live nativity scene at Beatty Park. Food will be provided. Tanya Kelly, along with local farmers Becca and Todd Miller, provide the animals each year. Children especially enjoy this area, staying for long periods of time and hearing about the first Christmas. -- Contributed

The site will once again become the beating heart of Steubenville, as the community prepares for the fifth-annual event, set to take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Families will gather under the late fall sky as the park transforms into a living Nativity, a place where faith and tradition will come alive for guests of all ages, especially children. Because children are not just welcome … they are at the heart of it.

Pets are invited to share in the joy as well, free to wander the pathways with their owners. They can even have their picture taken with a special visitor from the North Pole.

Farm animals will represent the manger scene, their gentle presence reminding visitors of the humble beginnings of the Christmas story. Children will lean in close to learn this timeless message of hope.

So, how did this event come to be?

READY FOR CHRISTMAS — Joe and Molly VerStraten portrayed Santa and Mrs. Claus during last year’s Christmas at Historic Beatty Park. The North Pole residents will attend this year’s celebration as well, presenting children with a gift that was collected by volunteers throughout the year. Pets are welcome to visit Santa and have their photos taken with him during the afternoon. Gabriela Rosa, who truly believes that Beatty Park has the real Santa Claus, was among the children in attendance. -- Contributed

According to VerStraten-Merrin, people would often tell her how they wished there were more things to do during the day or throughout the weekend when they visit the Nutcracker Village.

Christmas at Historic Beatty Park was born from those wishes.

The Nutcracker Village itself has become a destination. This year, there will be 217 painted sentinels standing guard outside businesses and storefronts. The whimsical army draws families, friends and visitors to the city to wander the downtown area.

“Continuing to offer this fun holiday event for the fifth year, on the same day as the Steubenville parade, has encouraged visitors — not just from Steubenville, but from the Tri-State Area and across the country, to come to the park. They can then visit the famous Nutcracker Village, which is less than one mile on the same street,” VerStraten-Merrin explained.

Her voice carried the quiet pride of someone who has watched a dream take root.

For VerStraten-Merrin, every year is a promise kept — to the park that raised her, to the neighbors who believed in it and to the families who will discover it for the first time.

The event is a daytime celebration by design, as there is no lighting inside the park.

Yet, there is something special about holding the celebration in the park during the afternoon hours, aligning it with the city’s annual Christmas parade and letting the spirit of the season carry you from one joy to the next.

There is a particular kind of magic that only a childhood place can hold.

For VerStraten-Merrin, the work has been personal and persistent. Each year’s celebration is a thank-you to the park that shaped her and a promise that childhood wonder and the spirit of goodwill can be paid forward.

Organizers have added a charming new touch to this year’s event — a hop-on, hop-off hayride that will weave a one-mile loop through the grounds. Visitors can park along Lincoln Avenue by the park’s entrance and ride to the various stops which are scattered throughout the park.

Near the entrance, where the old caretakers house once stood, volunteers and a local farmer have created something timeless — a live animal nativity.

Straw and hay will be scattered against the stone wall, as gentle animals wait patiently, inviting children to feed them with the food provided. It is a scene that offers a humble and extraordinary feeling, reminding visitors of the simple beauty of Christmas.

Not far from the nativity, music will drift through the air as members of the Sycamore Community Choir will be joined by other performers and lift their voices in carols beside a warming fire.

The hayride will carry guests deeper into the park, winding toward the historic staircase.

It is here the holiday StoryWalk unfolds. Sponsored by the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County, a green space will be lined with 20 large, wooden-framed, outdoor book displays.

Children can pause to read as their parents lean in to share the story.

Together, they can walk toward a wide field where a painted nature mural stretches across the landscape. Painted by members of the Steubenville Art Association and its president, Judy Schmidt, the decorated wooden Christmas trees each represent traditions from around the world. It is here that families often stop to take photographs, capturing moments that will become treasured keepsakes in later years.

The hayride continues to the first shelterhouse, where anticipation builds, as Santa and Mrs. Claus wait with open arms to greet the children and family pets and take photos.

Warming heaters will be placed nearby, while families can linger and savor the joy of meeting the Claus couple. Every child will receive a small gift from Santa’s original sled — a gesture that always sparks delight.

VerStraten-Merrin noted she and volunteers collect donations throughout the year for this occasion.

She reflected back to one of her favorite moments from past years, saying, “Several children have whispered to me, ‘Did you know the real Santa is in the park?’ And I always reply, ‘Well, of course.'”

“This is a labor of love for sure,” VerStraten-Merrin continued. “And it truly is. The Friends of Beatty Park prepare all year. Every aspect of the celebration is powered by volunteers. From food and performances to animals and Santa and Mrs. Claus, each person donates their time.”

“You know, even Santa and Mrs. Claus are super busy during the holiday season and give up a complete December Saturday afternoon to donate their time to witness the awe and amazement of the many children that come to whisper in his ear what they want him to bring them for Christmas,” she added. “They tell Santa that someone is sick in their family and they want them to get better. Or, they whisper a request for someone else to get a blessing or gift. When Santa sees the children’s faces and he listens to them, with real intent, and then gives them a toy and a piece of candy or cookie, well, that is priceless and something none of us as volunteers ever will forget.”

“Several grandparents and parents have sent me messages and photos in past years of their child holding a stuffed animal and shared how happy the child was to get an early gift from Santa,” VerStraten-Merrin stated. “The innocence of childhood is rekindled in my heart when we see these photos and have visitors share their stories. A couple of years ago, there was an ill little girl. We had no way of knowing that she was ill. She died about a week or so later. The dad sent me the photo of the little girl sitting on Santa’s lap — probably the last or one-of-the-last photos of the child. And boy-oh-boy, did that tug at my heart strings.”

There are many special moments like this which could be shared, as the park, which once held such wonderful childhood memories for VerStraten-Merrin, now holds significant remembrances for today’s children.

And that spirit of giving will continue when guests visit the second shelterhouse in the park.

Tables will be filled with cookies, snacks and warm drinks, offered freely, while supplies last.

Children can pick up nature-inspired craft kits, encouraging creativity that extends beyond the evening. Heaters glow here too, ensuring comfort as families gather.

From the nativity to the choir, from Santa’s sled to the crafts, every detail has been lovingly prepared by volunteers who believe in the magic of Christmas.

This is more than just an event — it is a celebration of community, tradition and togetherness.

The park, for a few shining moments, will become a place where wonder is not only remembered, but renewed.

There is a certain kind of magic that happens when history and nature meet under the canopy of Historic Beatty Park. Magic that will come alive at the old stone lodge, where those attending will gather to share stories, music and warmth.

It will be more than a destination — it will be a place where memories are made.

Visitors will be welcomed by the crackle of two roaring fireplaces, their glow casting a comforting light across the lodge walls. It is the perfect setting in which to relax beside your neighbors, your friends, and listen as John Boileigh brings to life the story, “Whispers in the Woods: Stories from a Natural Past.”

Boileigh’s tales will transport listeners back to the park’s prehistoric days, weaving together the plants, animals and living wonders that once thrived here.

Adding to the evening’s charm, local historians Linda Hilty, along with VerStraten-Merrin, will share “Echoes from the Past: A Historical Journey Through Beatty Park.” Together, they will guide guests through the park’s rich history, the adjoining cemetery and stories of the city, itself.

Hilty, who serves as vice president of the Jefferson County Historical Museum and Library, and VerStraten-Merrin, president of the Jefferson County Chapter of the Genealogical Society, bring not only a knowledge, but a heartfelt passion for preserving the past.

For those who are young at heart and who love nature, animals and the timeless beauty of traditional Christmas music, this event promises to bring delight.

“We are a nonprofit organization,” VerStraten-Merrin concluded. “Since 1986, we invest our volunteer efforts and donations to preserve Jefferson County history and Historic Beatty Park and its features as part of our mission. Without donations of time and funds, our projects would not exist and our mission could not be accomplished.”

Donations to the park can be made through the Jefferson County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society’s website at jeffcochapter.com.

PayPal and credit cards are accepted. Checks or money orders can be mailed to: JCC OGS, P.O. Box 177, Stratton, OH 43961. In the memo line, write “Beatty Park donation.”