Christmas Village brings Albany to life
When Cindy Parsons started her Christmas village collection in 1993, she couldn’t have imagined how large the magical display would grow to be today. Inspired by the charm of miniature villages, she began building her own with her late mother Tootie Rhoads for many years. Now, the tradition continues as a mother-daughter project with Cindy and her daughter, Ashley.
While the Christmas village was featured in last week-end’s PTO Christmas Parade of Homes, those who missed it will have another chance to experience the display this Saturday, Dec. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. Cindy and Ashley will open the Stasney office doors again for the public to enjoy the village.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be at the Stasney office during Saturday’s showcase and will be avail-able for photos.
Over the years, Cindy’s collection has transformed into a detailed representation of Albany itself. This year’s layout, housed at the Stasney office, spans tables, sawhorses, and plywood, bringing nearly every Albany landmark to life.
The layout features well over 100 buildings and more than 1,000 individual pieces.
Setting up the intricate display is no small task, re-quiring more than a month of work. Cindy and Ashley dedicate countless hours to the project, joined by Jennifer Carlile-Balliew, Rocky Parsons, who is an expert in setting up the village platforms, and a few young “elves” – Bently, Dax, and Grayson Bryan – who carefully place cars on the layout. While Ash-ley takes the lead as the architect of the village, Cindy ensures every detail is perfectly placed.
“Christmas is my favorite time of year, and this village has always represented the hometown feel of Christmas,” Cindy said. “I love to see the kids’ excited faces when they see the village – and even the adults’ faces.”
One of the standout features of the Christmas village is a miniature version of Robert Nail Memo-rial Stadium. Created by Tammi and Jay Dudley from Alabama, whom Cindy and Ashley connected with on Etsy, the stadium features a game between Albany and Haw-ley, complete with working stadium lights and fans. To add authenticity, the front of the stadium showcases Albany’s four state championship monuments.
This year’s layout also includes a new addition: a North Pole village crafted by Jennifer Carlile-Balliew, set up in the room next door.
