Valdese, NC – The Waldensian Trail of Faith in Valdese will light up again this year in shining holiday splendor.
The annual Lighting Of The Trail ceremony will take place at 6 pm Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. at the Trail at 401 Church St. NW in Valdese.
The Trail of Lights features more than 100,000 LED bulbs fashioned into favorite Christmas scenes displayed throughout the outdoor museum. All of the scenes relate to the history of the Waldensian people, but the most important thing is that the displays are focused on Jesus, said Jim Jacumin, Trail of Faith Founder and president and former state senator.
Founded in 1993, the Trail of Faith portrays the history of the Waldensians back to the time of the biblical apostles, according to the museum’s website, www.waldensiantrailoffaith.org. Scattered on the property are 15 buildings and monuments that detail the history of each phase in their journey. The museum tour brings to life the struggles they faced, pays tribute to their sacrifices and celebrates their successes and triumphs. The Waldensians were considered to be people who lived by Scripture and were “tortured, exiled and martyred, and still the faith that drove them from the Alpine Valleys of Italy to the foothills of North Carolina survived”.
Visitors can look forward to students from Silver Creek SDA Christian School in Morganton playing music and singing for a short time before Jacumin, reads the Christmas Story. The students will be led by music teacher Steve Bietz.
Many Visitors
The Trail of Lights display attracts a steady flow of traffic through the museum, generally averaging 40 to 50 vehicles a night to enjoy the lights display, Jacumin said.
Guests at the Lighting Ceremony and nightly viewing are encouraged to stop by the Visitor’s Center where hot chocolate & hot apple cider and other refreshments will be served.
The Trail of Faith Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit group funded by donations from guests. There is no admission fee to the Christmas lights display, but the Trail of Faith will accept donations to help fund December’s utility bill.
Lighting Schedule
The Trail of Lights will be open 6-9 pm daily from the November lighting ceremony through Dec. 24. The visitor’s Center will be closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for concessions. There will be no lights on Christmas Day but the lights will be on Thanksgiving & Christmas Eve.
For day to day announcements and possible weather related changes in viewing the lights Please “like” our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WaldensianTrailofFaith/
For more information, please call the trail office at 828-874-1893, visit www.waldensiantrailoffaith.org
Waldesian Trail of Faith
