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Look back: Pictures of Christmas Town at Busch Gardens

Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Workers gets things ready to set up Christmas Town in the warehouse near Busch Gardens.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Kristi Bratcher, Jordan Holt and Andrew Tenser sting lights on a tree as Busch Gardens gets ready for Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
From left, Corey, 2, Christina, Santa Claus, Cade, 6, and Chris Kinne pose for a photo at Christmas Town in 2009. The family came down from Richmond to attend the event. Cade asked Santa for "lots of toys."
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
People take photos of the North Pole during Christmas Town 2009 at Busch Gardens.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
Festa Italia and Rudolph's Winter Wonderland are being readied for vistors to Busch Gardens' Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Annasophia Hellman reaches out for live penguins at the Ice Palace: A Penguin Paradise in the France section Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
Festa Italia and Rudolph's Winter Wonderland are being readied for vistors to Busch Gardens Christmas Town.
Photos courtesy of Busch Gardens / Daily Press
One of Santa's helpers opens a box during Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg,
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Busch Gardens install technician, Matt Godwin, guides a large section of a 50 foot Christmas tree into place in front of the Festhaus. Large fork-lifts and and elbow grease combine to bring the tree to life.
Posted by Sarah Houghland, Community Contributor
Busch Gardens delights its visitors with 8 million lights.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Busch Gardens employee Matt Godwin pulls a large section of a 50 foot Christmas tree into place in front of the Festhaus.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
The England area has most of the overhead lighting and decor installed as Busch Gardens readies the park for Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
People walk under holiday lights Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
The sun highlights trees in front of the FestHaus in the Oktoberfest section of Busch Gardens as workers prepare the park for the opening of Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Santa Claus laughs as he poses for photos and asks children what they want for Christmas at Santa's Workshop at Christmas Town in 2009.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Crowds walk under holiday lights in the Ireland section Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
A Busch Gardens employee gets garland ready to hang on a game booth as the park frantically gets ready for Christmas Town.
Evert Bono, III / Daily Press
Evert Bono photographed this street scene at Christmas Town at Bush Gardens in 2010.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Musicians walk through the crowd during the show Deck the Halls at Das Festhaus in the Germany section Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Matthew Anderson puts lights on a tree near Verbolten in Busch Gardens. The park will install and decorate around 1300 trees as they gear up for Christmas Town.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
A Rudolph decoration sits with other decorations as installers at Busch Gardens Christmas Town work to prepare the park of opening.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Matt Godwin tightens the bolts that hold together the 50 foot Christmas tree in front of the Festhaus at Busch Gardens.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Around 100,000 lights are carefully wrapped around a maple tree in the Italy section of Busch Gardens as the park ramps up for the annual Christmas Town event.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Prizes reflect the holiday season in the Germany section Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
A view from the inside of the Christmas Tree in font of the Festhaus at Busch Gardens. The tree will come to life with lights and music for Christmas Town.
Daily Press
Performers of Deck the Halls sing to the audience at Christmas Town.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Water country employee Philip Boykin helps out decorating one of the 1300 trees that go up as Busch Gardens prepares for Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
People walk under fake snow in the France section Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Andrew Kiechlin looks carefully for gaps as he works with four others to wrap the maple tree in the Italy section of Busch Gardens with lights. The process takes several days and ends with over 100,000 lights engulfing the tree.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Four lifts work in unison to help workers reach the top on the maple tree in the Italy section of Busch Gardens as they wrap it with over 100,000 lights.
Daily Press
A canopy of stars hangs over head as guests walk through Christmas Town.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
John Hass works to get the lights on the 50 foot musical Christmas tree near the Festhaus up and running. The team that puts up all the decorations has about three weeks to pull of the show.
Daily Press
Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration in Williamsburg, Va. features millions of twinkling lights, holiday shows, dining, shopping and the most famous elf of all, Santa Claus.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Diners watch the show Deck the Halls at Das Festhaus in the Germany section at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
A musician performs for the crowd in the New France section at Christmas Town in 2009.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Diners watch the show Deck the Halls at Das Festhaus in the Germany section in 2009, the first year of Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Mike Beyer strings lights on the tree in front of the Festhaus as Busch Gardens makes the final push to get Christmas Town open by November 27th.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Holiday items for sale sit in a store window Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Busch Gardens electrician Stewart Nelson hangs garland on a game booth near the Festhaus at Busch Gardens as the park switches over from Hallowscream to Christmas Town.
Photos courtesy of Busch Gardens / Daily Press
A performance from the 2011 edition of Christmas Town at Busch Gardens.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
People wait in line next to lit During Christmas Town's first season in 2009, guests wait in line to see live penguins at the Ice Palace in the France section. The penguins were brought in from Sea World locations in San Antonio, Texas, and Orlando, Fla.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Danny Biggerstaff, also known as Coaster Dan, watches the light show O Tannenbaum in the Germany section during Christmas Town in 2009.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
The crowd gathers to watch the light show O Tannenbaum in the Germany section in 2009 at Christmas Town.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
Danielle Carter gets ready to take a photo of her son, Zachary, 5, in front of a lit Christmas tree along a path in 2009 at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Bardley Hagelin muscles the two bottom halves of a 50 foot Christmas tree together in front of the Festhaus. The large sections of the tree are forklifted into place and then bolted together by hand.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
Allyson Best works on wrapping a maple tree in the Italy section with over 100,000 white LED lights. The process take several days and four people working on lifts to carefully wrap all the limbs.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
Tom Hall and others are installing up to 1400 trees with lights in the park at Busch Garden's Christmas Town.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
Busch Gardens is decorating Christmas Town for the upcoming season. Shown is a display in Rudolph's Winter Wonderland.
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
One of the programs offered is Santa's Fireside Feast where in 2009 people could dine with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press
John Hass connects the two halve of the Christmas tree in front of the Festhaus as preparations for the annual Busch Gardens Christmas Town gets under way.
Joe Fudge / Daily Press
The England area has most of the overhead lighting and decor installed as Busch Gardens readies the park for Christmas Town.
captsouthard / Daily Press
Eyewitness contributor captsouthard submitted this photo from Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. During the summer the attraction is Escape from Pompeii
Diane Cebula / Daily Press
In 2009, Abby Slyter, then 6, left, and Neve McDonough, then 5, both of Williamsburg, stand in front of a 45-foot Christmas tree at Christmas Town.

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By Virginia Gazette and Virginia Gazette staff

PUBLISHED: December 15, 2016 at 12:28 p.m. | UPDATED: August 10, 2019 at 1:19 p.m.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Williamsburg runs Nov. 25 through Jan. 2. Here’s a look at how the theme park puts the massive effort together and a look at the event through the years.