ALTON — The 12th Night of Christmas Bonfire in Middletown has been rescheduled to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Haskell Park, moving up from its original date of Jan. 6 due to an unfavorable weather forecast.

Molly Bailey, a coordinator of the event, noted that the decision to change the date was made in light of the expected snow and ice storm Sunday and Monday. "It didn’t sound good," Bailey said, referring to the weather forecast for the two days. "Instead of canceling, we decided to bump it up two days to try to beat the incoming weather."

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The bonfire, organized by Middletown Neighbors, is set to feature carols, cookies, wassail, and the traditional bonfire, which will be lit by the Alton Fire Department around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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The event will last approximately one hour and is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring live tree donations for the bonfire, which can be placed at the park on the 12th and Henry side in Alton.

Volunteers are also welcome to help set up luminaries at 4 p.m. on the day of the event, and those interested in donating cookies or making wassail are invited to reach out for coordination.

The gathering aims to provide a festive farewell to the 2024 holiday season, with community members invited to join in the celebration.

 

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