It was a Christmas present for Holidays Around the Ranch.
The annual festival on Lakewood Main Street in Lakewood Ranch was in danger of being wiped out by an approaching rainstorm on Dec. 8.
Keith Pandeloglou, the director of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities which hosts the event, sent out the announcement that Holidays Around the Ranch would go forward rain or shine. Santa, who was scheduled to greet the public on Lakewood Main Street, shifted inside to the Culinary Innovation Lab at USF.
Just before the event, though, the nasty, dark clouds blew away and an estimated 2,000 patrons enjoyed a warm, pleasant evening, with the storms holding off until after the last child went down the snow slide.
East County's Eva Abraham, 9, enjoys the real snow at Holidays Around the Ranch.
Sarasota's Carla Puentes, 12, and Lakewood Ranch's Manuela Jimenez, 12, color Kindness Project rocks.
Julia Chandler, 4, of East County puts the finishing touches on a gingerbread man.
Skylar Ngwa of Lakewood Ranch checks out her face painting during Holidays Around the Ranch.
Sarasota's Bryson Taylor, 9, begins his slide down real snow on Lakewood Main Street.
Julia and June Parrish of Tampa came to Holidays Around the Ranch to do a little dancing.
Alexandra Fallacaro, Lakewood Ranch Teen USA, gets between Powerhouse Dance's Willow Farrelly, Makayla Reyes, Alexa Freck, Cayden Stolarski, Brookelyn Albee and Alyssa Rivkin.
After a countdown, the light switch was flipped on the Main Street holiday tree.
A long line of children waited to try out the big inflatable balls. They climbed inside and rolled down the street.
Myakka City sisters Katelyn and Jenna Lee are having a ball at Holidays Around the Ranch.
MVP Mobile Video Party brought its games to Lakewood Main Street for Holidays Around the Ranch.
The trackless train was packed from beginning to end during Holidays Around the Ranch.
Lakewood Ranch's Rodrigo Marin, 4, is the picture of concentration as he decorates a cookie.
The potential for rain forced Santa indoors at the Culinary Innovation Lab at USF, but he greeted hundreds of children.
