A holiday tradition will continue in Lenoir with the annual Winter Festival.

The Winter Festival, which benefits low-income families from Lenoir Housing Authority, will take place Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Lenoir.

The event is a collaboration between the Lenoir Housing Authority, Lenoir Parks and Recreation Department, Lenoir Police Department and Lenoir Fire Department to deliver a positive message to members of the community.

This will be the 12th year that the festival has been held after spawning from a drug prevention grant following the theme of "Up with Hope, Down with Dope."

"It's a way to encourage our young people and let them know their are alternatives to what they may be confronted with in life," said Verdell Patterson, director of the Lenoir Housing Authority. "We want them to know they can make it is they put their minds and skills to use, that they can rise above their conditions. Times may be tough, but if they use the resources (teachers, role models, community leaders/agencies) available, they can succeed."

The police and fire departments are resources available to those young people, and members of each agency will take active roles in the festival, from preparing and serving food to offering words of encouragement and educational programs.

"This has been an ongoing collaboration with our service authorities and gives people a chance to see them in a positive light," Patterson said. "So many times our police officers and firefighters are seen in bad situations. This shows they are here to assist, that they have so much more to offer."

And plenty will be offered during the festival. In addition to food and drinks, there will be singing, balloons, face painting and a magician. Oh, and there will be a visit by Santa Claus, and he will be bringing some gifts with him to hand out to children in attendance.

"It's a time of fellowship to deliver a positive message," Patterson said. "We're trying to show that children can set goals for themselves and move toward them, even at an early age. That will help make a better overall community."