YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Brookside Park in Dover Township waved hello to the holidays, inviting dozens of families to enjoy the bright lights, model steam engines, and dancing inflatable friends lined up inside and out.
On this night, the crowds were a little smaller and it's all by design.
"I'm a mother of two special needs children, so to me it was important to offer something that my kids didn't have chance to have," said Chalet Harris, director of Dover Township Parks and Recreation. "[Friday] is actually my older son's birthday, he's 22, and my younger one is 19. They could not handle the normal large scale events."
Thirty-Five families who have children with special needs pre-registered for the free event. Organizers staggered their arrival times. It gave many kids a one-on-one chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus or pose with a trio of well-known characters from their favorite movies.
Every aspect of the evening was thought out with care, making the environment as calm as possible.
"We're kind of looking at what the needs are. Flashing lights can be a trigger for some children, loud noises, crowds," Harris said. "Some kids need to have the ability to move around and when there's a lot of people around, they can't do that. We try to make a space that is welcoming to everybody and then the families can enjoy that experience together."
Families gathered in the roundhouse for a snack or a hot cocoa, completing festive crafts provided by the volunteers. Organizers hope this event grows like holiday cheer.
"We're hoping to expand it further and would love if other people are planning on doing something similar to what we're doing, that they share our information so more families can get this experience too," Harris said.
Dover Township Parks and Recreation expects the sensory Santa event to return next year. The jolly old elf is returning to Brookside Park Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both days are open to the general public.