Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad kicked off its holiday season Nov. 28 with its Holiday Magic Kickoff.

The kickoff marked the start of the holiday season, and was full of lights, laughter, crafts for the kids, and joy.

Upon attending Christmas at Crossroads on Nov. 29 with my sister, I saw  how great Christmas at Crossroads really is.

I was instantly greeted by kind faces and the magnificent lights.

Entering the park, the first thing I noticed was the Genesee County Parks sign. The entryway was beautiful and consisted of light-up soldiers showing the way. It was truly magical.

The lights all throughout the park were beautifully colored and made the experience even more enchanting.

The train was great: full of laughter, children singing along to Christmas carols, and a cheerful conductor that entertained the train riders with jokes.

The train ride itself included Christmas light displays, all introduced by the conductor as if they were real. There were also lights in dedication to the song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” which I really enjoyed.

The shops were my favorite part of the trip. They were filled with joyous people that greeted everyone with a smile on their face.

It seemed like they knew much about the shops to which they worked in and it was evident that they all enjoyed their jobs.

Of all the shops, my favorite had to be the Print Shop. Entering the shop took me back to older times, times where an online newspaper was not considered possible. Times when a newspaper had to be organized flawlessly, letter by letter, and one mistake meant that the printer had to start the task over.

The Print Shop was an interesting presentation.

Village printer Dana Warth, along with a partner, showed visitors the way newspapers were made in the 1800s.

I was awed at the fact that it used to take 50 hours to print just four pages of a newspaper.

Crossroads Village made me realize how far we have come technologically and how life did, in fact, go on without all of the electronics we now see as a necessity.

Christmas at Crossroads is an event that makes memories. From visiting the shops to buying candy that I have never even heard of, to enjoying a hot chocolate and traditional kettle corn, and finally, to riding the holiday train, the event was an overall fun experience that I will not forget.

I would definitely recommend going to Crossroads Village for Christmas at Crossroads if you are looking for an exciting and memorable experience.