Hard Labor Creek, Georgia’s second-largest state park, stretches across 6,000 acres. Located near Rutledge, the park celebrated the Christmas season Dec. 20-21 with its “Holiday Wagon Rides with Santa.”
The annual event featured a 20-minute wagon ride through the park for children with their families alongside Santa. Visitors also had the option to sit by a campfire, enjoying hot chocolate or toasted marshmallows.
David Guzman, an interpretive ranger for Hard Labor Creek, oversees event operations and introduced the wagon rides when he began his position eight years ago. He said the park wanted to “give back to the community.”
“When I got here to this park, they already had this wagon, but it was not in good shape. So we had to repair and repaint it to make it look better,” Guzman said. “It was kind of my idea and our volunteer group, but somebody donated the Santa costume.”
To give back to the community, Guzman said the state park offers the event at a lower admission price. He mentioned the event turnout varies each year, but on some occasions, visitors are lined up at the welcome center for the wagon rides.
“Some years we have a lot of people. Some other years we have less, but it’s always to try to give people the chance to enjoy the holidays and the festivities,” Guzman said. “Not many people have a chance to get that close to Santa, asking questions, and go around [the park], and that’s what I like about these tours.”
According to Guzman, the park is not as busy during this time of year as it is in spring, which is its busiest season. He said Hard Labor Creek offers different events and programs for each season.
Guzman said this year’s event was not as crowded as in years past, but the staff understands the various holiday events that take place throughout the season will experience ups and downs.
“Maybe it’s the weather or how busy people are doing or going to other events,” Guzman said. “We know that there are a lot of places offering programs for Christmas, which is fine, and we don’t want to compete with anybody else, but just give people a chance to visit.”
With his years at Hard Labor Creek and running the event, Guzman said his favorite part of the occasion is witnessing the joy of kids who participate in the wagon ride.
“The kids, their faces just light up, they enjoy it so much, and just to see the connection with people and Santa in the park,” Guzman said. “We give people the chance to do this just to be part of the holiday spirit.”
Overall, Guzman said the Wagon Rides with Santa event is vital to the state park because it encourages people to continue enjoying the outdoor experience. He said such events are significant for children, so they don’t lose interest.
“What we want is people to be able to come out and enjoy nature, socialize, and keep coming back to the park,” Guzman said. “We especially need the new generations to come here and to visit us, because from now on and maybe in a few years, if they don’t have the chance to grow and know what a state park is, they may grow detached.”