Sunday, May 5, 2024
The Enchanted Forest, started by Jean Cate in the 1980s, is remembered in Granbury for its Christmas magic – a talking Christmas tree, candy covered cottages and sparkling decorations. Cate, Val Hibbeler and other volunteers are working to revive this beloved tradition.
The forest, sponsored by the Historic Granbury Merchants Association, was exhibited as an addition to the annual Candlelight Tour of Homes. In 2005, after nearly two decades of success, the forest was closed down due to losing access to the public library, its birthplace, and then finally to the city’s old American Legion Building.
“We’ve spoken with a lot of people in this town who fondly remember the Enchanted Forest – the wonderful way it made them feel and how much they’ve missed it,” Hibbeler said. “We’d like to rekindle those nostalgic memories while giving it a somewhat different flavor. It will need to be more complex and realistic to ‘wow’ the children of this new tech-savvy generation.”
The buildings and decorations that made up the Enchanted Forest were donated by businesses and built by volunteers. Many of the components were thrown out or lost during storage.
The volunteers indicated that they believe one specific building, a replica two-story bakery, is still somewhere in Granbury — and they are on a mission to locate it.
“The roof is covered in tiny wooden shingles, lights inside show the baking table with flour and a rolling pin just ready to roll out pie crusts, window boxes on the outside hold small loaves of French bread waiting for buyers,” Cate said. “Looking in the window, you see shelves with goodies just ready for Christmas. It is a picture from Old England and a joy to see.”
The bakery was misplaced after being moved from storage at the Nutshell Eatery and Bakery. In order to plan for the reopening, the volunteers need to account for which buildings can be recovered and which need to be rebuilt.
“After watching everything these kids went through with quarantine, I realized we need to bring back the magic,” Cate said. “When kids would visit, they’d act like they were at an amusement park. You’d see bright looks on their faces, and they would want to go through the forest over and over again.”
If you have any information about the whereabouts of the bakery or other decorations from the Enchanted Forest, contact Val Hibbeler at 817-894-7254.
