Light Up the Park 2020 has begun, drive in & enjoy

The 2^nd Annual Light the Park began last Thursday as Christmas season 2020 started. Located at Split Rock Park, the displays this year are working hard to out-do themselves from 2019. The drive through the park is even bigger and brighter than the year before.

The project started as a fundraising idea for the new shade structure by the playground. The Grow Garretson committee that formed to raise funds for the bench effort saw a need for a second shelter, and came up with the plan to light up the park for the holidays in 2019. It was a success, allowing the team to raise enough funds for the cement pad. Now, it has its eyes set on the shelter itself.

“It isn’t a wooden shelter,” said Grow Garretson Light the Park committee member Carrie Moritz. The committee plans to install a steel structure that can withstand the wind speeds, snow loads, and train vibrations that will be encountered at that location. It will also match the playground. But with that comes a cost, and the committee is working hard to seek out grants and raise funds. They recently were the recipients of an Alliance Communications “Keep the Change” grant for $2,500 which will go towards picnic tables and waste receptacles in the shelter.

Light the Park has been their biggest fundraising effort so far, and 2019’s success and the enthusiasm from the community brought them back for another year.

“We had most of our display sponsors and decorators from last year sign back up again this year,” Moritz said. “Due to the response, the committee made several more spaces available, and all were taken. We’ve been so grateful to all the people who volunteered to help make this a resounding success.”

Getting a project of this magnitude off the ground isn’t without its difficulties, however. The team had issues with an electrical pole at the entrance, and encountered more than a few strands of lights that refused to stay lit.

Luckily, the City was more than willing to work with the committee. They loaned the team their generator and trailer for the first weekend, and tapped Steve’s Electric to upgrade the electrical pole. The City also provided employee help and planning.

“[City Finance Officer] Anna Uhl and committee member and city councilor Jodi Gloe were great. They picked up a lot of supplies for us and helped us plan a couple of the larger spaces. Zach Uhl also helped decorate, and we kept all the other guys on their toes while we were getting set up,” said Moritz.

In all, Moritz said there were eighteen teams that decorated. Several local businesses sponsored spaces, with some using a new option this year, which was to sponsor a decorating team.

“We had a few organizations that were willing to provide the décor and the volunteers for the larger areas, and we had businesses that wanted to contribute last year but didn’t have the volunteers,” said Moritz. “This was a great way to get both the volunteers and the businesses involved.”

The first weekend saw a steady stream of visitors viewing the light show, and responses were positive. The display will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. until January 3, and will be open during the week before and after Christmas.

One exciting addition to the display is “Letters to Santa,” where children of all ages can write a letter to Santa and drop it in the mailbox located near the bathhouse. All envelopes with a return address will receive a response from Santa before the holidays. Letters will only be accepted until Saturday, December 12.

If the weather permits, Santa plans to visit the park and wave to park-goers after the Parade of Lights on December 12. Due to the pandemic, visitations will be discouraged, but Santa said he’s excited to see all the happy faces of good little girls and boys.

The team is still accepting volunteers to help open and close the gates during December. Interested volunteers can visit http://GrowGarretson.com/light-the-park.

Any proceeds to Light the Park will be going towards the shade structure that is planned near the playground at Split Rock Park. A donation box is located at the entrance to the park, and an on-line donation link is also available at the web address above. Visitors to the website can also see a list of sponsors and decorators.

Moritz reflected on how much of a community effort Light the Park has become.

“We couldn’t have done this without our sponsors and our decorators,” she said. “It means a lot to the community to have this event, and we hope to continue it well into the future, even after the shade structure is completed.”