SOUTH FORK— The residents and businesses of South Fork are inviting one and all to the “First Annual Yuletide Celebration,” beginning at 5 p.m. on Nov. 24.  
South Fork has enjoyed an increase in visitors throughout the year drawn by the promise of endless outdoor opportunities, as South Fork is “the base camp for adventure” in all seasons. The idea of creating a lighted winter wonderland began in the fall with a group of dedicated volunteers coming together for the purpose of making South Fork a family destination to kick off the holiday season. With help from many generous contributions from the community and The Greater South Fork Community Foundation (GSFCF), the South Fork Visitors Center will be the site of a celebration that is sure to bring out the holiday spirit for everyone who attends.
The Yuletide Celebration will offer refreshments of chili and hot chocolate served around a bonfire, where neighbors and friends, old and new, will enjoy Christmas music and sing-a-longs, followed by the lighting ceremony at dark, ushering in Santa’s arrival to the delight of children of all ages. Caroling will follow after the celebration.  
The South Fork Visitor Center will light up the mountains for the Christmas season, thanks in part to a grant from the Kitchens in July Home Tours. Kitchens in July was an annual home tour event in South Fork which took place every summer from 1999 through 2014, missing only one season due to the West Fork Complex Fire in 2013. Many South Fork residents participated in the event either by allowing their homes to be featured or as a volunteer for the well-coordinated event. Kitchens in July presented between four and six homes each summer and was well attended, typically attracting about 300 attendees.
“All funds raised by the home tours have become a part of the GSFCF and are specifically designated for community beautification. The tours provided the funding for the six, 25-foot lighted poles that surround the South Fork Visitor Center and funded the colorful seasonal banners that hung on those poles from 2005 until 2013 when they were replaced by the metal cutouts hanging on the poles today.  In years past, grants paid for the landscaping at Carnegie Library and the Rio Grande Health Clinic in South Fork. Last spring, another grant also helped pay for the Flowers and Flags program for the 25th anniversary of South Fork this past summer, adorning the town with beautiful summer flowers and American Flags,” explained Mari Hathorn, president of GSFCF.
The weekend of Nov. 24 is packed full of many activities for the entire family to enjoy, starting with the annual South Fork Kiwanis Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 23. South Fork invites visitors to come and stay for the weekend, enjoy the dinner, the lighting ceremony, check out Christmas deals at unique shops, ski at Wolf Creek and enjoy some homemade chocolate in Creede for their annual Chocolate Festival. Anyone who travels to South Fork will find warm accommodations, delicious food, fresh snow and of course a wintery treat.