Equine therapeutic center in Cook Township plans drive-thru holiday Winterfest
The STAT Ligonier Therapeutic Center will spread some holiday cheer with a drive-through Winterfest, from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19.
“We were thinking about how so many Christmas events have been canceled, and we wanted to do something for the kids and the community,” said founder Catherine Markosky.
The center, which offers equine-assisted therapies and adaptive riding and horsemanship services, will be illuminated with lights while Christmas music plays.
Even the therapy horses will be decked out for the occasion, Markosky said.
The idea was inspired by the beards that a couple of center volunteers sport, she said.
“A couple of our volunteers are Vietnam vets with long white beards,” she said. “We said, ‘Why don’t we dress them up as Santa?’ And we just went from there.”
Being mindful of pandemic-related social distancing recommendations, they’re keeping things “simple and safe” with a drive-through experience.
Santa will be waving to visitors, accompanied by a group of elves. Mrs. Santa also will be present for the first evening of festivities.
Visitors will drive through a lighted, horseshoe-shaped course on the center grounds, where they’ll be offered cookies and hot cocoa to go. Kids won’t be able to visit face-to-face with Santa this year, but they will be able to drop off letters and Christmas gift lists.
While the inaugural Winterfest will be a simple affair, Markosky said she hopes to expand future events to include sleigh rides, ice skating, up-close visits with Santa and more.
“We’ve been doing a Summerfest for five years, and it’s been a blast,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do a winter event.”
While there is no admission fee for Winterfest, donations will be accepted to support the nonprofit center. The first 100 visitors making a donation of $10 or more will receive a small, potted blue spruce tree suitable for planting in the spring.
Registration is not required. Local volunteer firefighters will be on hand to direct traffic, if needed, Markosky said.
The center is located at 24 Stom Road, off Route 711 in Cook.
For information, call 724-593-4742, text 607-223-4176 or visit statinc.org.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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