Christmas Village at Emerald Lake
By Charlene Mathis

The 200+ square foot city is on display at Emerald Lake.

Christmas 1996: A quaint Camp-Fire Village is assembled on top of a folding card table in a bait store at a local Lake Seminole campground and marina.

A decade later the "quaint" Camp-Fire Village is a fully grown metropolis complete with a City Hall, Library, Barbershop and a recently added Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Very little of the now 200+ square foot City was actually purchased after 1996. True-hearted friends, guests and patrons of the marina graciously enriched the Christmas scene with their own childhood treasures, then proudly explained each contribution to grandchildren and various other extended family members' on their annual visits. Many of our charitable contributors have since passed on. Our offers to return their gifts were always rejected.

Hundreds of miniature figurine people, pets, farm animals, cars, trucks, horse drawn wagons and carriages complete the soft setting of lighted and glistening assemblages. Rural cottages, farmhouses, barns, rustic lodges and even a lunker-large-mouth is pulling Santa Claus to shore.

In the spring of 2006, a Thomasville developer purchased the marina. Having no interest in continuing the local flavor and traditions, the Camp-Fire Village, with an uncertain future was packed up and stored away.

We are now staying at Emerald Lake RV Park. Owners Don and Charlene Mathis and Manager Stephanie Faulkner became aware of the stored project and asked that we reconstruct the Village for all of the local folks to enjoy. Sparing no energy the Village was revitalized at Emerald Lake RV Park.

Usable space and prior entertainment and catering commitments posed somewhat of a challenge. The results, however, were quite remarkable considering over a third was still stored. The steady stream of old friends and new visitors are a genuine compliment to all of our efforts.