After you have gathered together

with your families and put away enormous amounts of food on Thursday and

perhaps kicked off your Christmas shopping on Friday, you can head to

the center of downtown Fayetteville on Saturday and take part in the annual

Christmas tree lighting.

The event will begin at 6 p.m.

in Heritage Park at Stonewall Village and will feature music, crafts,

refreshments and more. Timeless Highway will take the stage by the fountain

at 6 p.m. and will perform all of your favorite Christmas songs during

the "Timeless Country Christmas Show." Members of the Heritage

Christian Church will set up a small version of their Dickens Village

and jugglers among others.

In addition to all of the entertainment,

there will be a craft making station, an old-fashioned Santa to visit,

and hot chocolate and chestnuts to consume. This year's event is

also special because the tree lighting ceremony is themed "Holiday

of Hope" and is being dedicated to those touched by cancer. The park

will be decorated with luminaries honoring survivors and given in memory

of those who lost the battle to cancer. Tyler Rion, a three year old cancer

survivor, will begin the festivities by lighting the tree.

Rion was diagnosed with Pre-B

ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia) on June 10 of this year. He responded

very well to induction therapy and has been in remission since the conclusion

of his first month of treatments. His type of leukemia must be treated

with a protocol of two and a half years of chemotherapy, so his journey

has just begun. Tyler lives in Fayetteville with parents, Seth and Barb,

and new baby brother, Matthew.

Luminaries may be reserved

in the memory or honor of someone touched by cancer for a donation of

$10 made payable to the American Cancer Society. �Luminaries may be ordered

in advance at the Fayetteville City Hall (contact Nancy Price, 770-461-6029)

or at the American Cancer Society located at 135 Bradford Square, Suite

B in Fayetteville (contact Sheri Waynick, 770-460-8920). They may also

be purchased on site.

Downtown Fayetteville should

look beautiful this Saturday night as the community comes together to

light the Christmas tree and look ahead to an enchanting holiday season.

Members of Heritage Christian

Church's Dickens Village, from left, Steve Geyer, Shellye Febrey

and Joe Febrey met Tyler Rion recently before the Fayetteville christmas

tree. Photo/Michael Boylan.

Fayetteville's Holiday

of Hope 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 29

Tree lighting,

Santa visit, Refreshments and Entertainment

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