Oh, what fun it is to ride on an open sleigh through Odessa.
Celebrating its sixth year, the Junior League of Odessa’s annual Christmas Carriage Rides offers families of the Permian Basin a chance to get into the holiday spirit by viewing the decorated Emerald Forest Subdivision in a unique fashion.
The event is scheduled to run through Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. Rides are offered in three sizes: a four-person carriage ride costs $150; a six-person carriage ride is $200; and a 12-person carriage ride is $375. Rides will begin every 20 minutes and tickets are available for purchase online.
Parking for the event will be in the alleyway southwest of Shiloh Road and Stoney Ridge Road. Hot chocolate and goodies will be available for purchase on-site.
“I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime and memorable thing for kids,” Kayla Potts, fundraising committee member for the Junior League of Odessa, said. “What better way to see these lights than with hot cocoa and a blanket.”
The Junior League of Odessa is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, and educational and charitable events in the West Texas community. The group also hosts the annual Merry Marketplace at the Ector County Coliseum.
Some organizations supported by the Junior League of Odessa include the Boys and Girls Club of the Permian Basin and the Pink Pantries in the Ector County Independent School District, which offers free feminine hygiene products.
Now in her second year as a member, Potts said getting to help set up the event and meet with the residents was a great way to get to know more people in the community.
“We passed out goodie bags and it is so cool just to walk and see all the lights in the neighborhood,” she said.
If you go
- What: Junior League of Odessa’s Christmas Carriage Rides.
- When: 6:30 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. now through Thursday. Sleigh rides will begin every 20 minutes.
- Where: Emerald Forest Subdivision.
- Cost: A four-person carriage ride costs $150; a six-person carriage is $200; and a 12-person carriage is $375. Tickets are purchased online at tinyurl.com/5asjvmxb
