Courtesy of the Redwood Parks Conservancy

Redwood lovers near and far can explore the forest at Prairie Creek by candlelight from their computer for a second year in a row.

The Redwood Parks Conservancy will host its 32nd Annual Candlelight Walk in the Redwoods on Dec. 11 via a live feed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to featuring a nighttime walk down the trails at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, there will be storytellers and music around a campfire.

From a Redwood Parks Conservancy news release:

ORICK, Calif. – A 32-year winter tradition at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park will return as a virtual event for a second year. The Candlelight Walk in the Redwoods will be broadcast live from the park Saturday, December 11th at 6 p.m. as a fundraiser for Redwood Parks Conservancy (RPC) and the parks they support, including Redwood National and State Parks.

The event features a nighttime walk down trails in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park lit by over 500 luminaria. The virtual event tries to capture the feeling of other parts the in-person event as well. Local storyteller Ali Freedlund and other storytellers and musicians fill out the night with stories and songs of winter, the holidays and the redwood forest.

Last year’s first virtual candlelight walk started as an answer to the pandemic, and the response from local people and redwood lovers from all over the country was more than the non-profit organizers had imagined.

“We had 1,000 families joining us from everywhere from Willow Creek to Boston and even from other countries,” says David Reed, RPC development director, “people in Africa and Europe were joining us to share the beauty of our ancient redwoods. It was an amazing experience.”

RPC and their partners in California State Parks and The National Park Service are going to use the video version of the event to show supporters a part of the park that they couldn’t with the in-person candlelight walk. Participants will get to virtually walk down one of the iconic park trails by (battery powered) candlelight that wouldn’t be possible in-person.

Tickets are available online for the 32nd Annual Candlelight Walk through the Redwoods scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, at 6 p.m. PST. at https://www.redwoodparksconservancy.org/candlelight-tickets. Family tickets are $25 and there are a limited number of Luminary Sponsor tickets available for $100 which include a care package with local foods and activities mailed to the sponsor.

Proceeds from tickets benefit Redwood Parks Conservancy (RPC), a local non-profit organization that supports the interpretive, educational and preservation mission at Redwood National and State Parks, Smith River National Recreation Area, Tolowa Dunes State Park, Sue-Meg State Park, Fort Humboldt State Park, and other state parks along the north coast.

For more information, please contact Redwood Parks Conservancy, at 707-464-9150.

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