MICHIGAN CITY — More than 5 miles of extension cords supply power for the Christmas lights and the 50 lighted figures that go up each year along the city’s lakeshore.
Five hundred boxes of lights strung up in the trees at Washington Park also are purchased each year to replace the ones no longer good from the previous season.
The manpower invested putting up Michigan City’s Festival of Lights is tremendous, along with the daily task of changing bulbs and fixing other electrical problems.
There isn’t much complaining, though, given the rewards of such dedication shown on the faces of people in the steady stream of vehicles passing through each night.
“We’re giving back to the community for them to come down and just enjoy something for free,” said Chris Kaufman, head of maintenance for the Michigan City Park Department.
People are also reading…
Dave and Wendy Dowd and their home-from-college daughter, Kaitlin, came Friday night from Portage to continue a long family tradition.
They along with many others stayed in their vehicles making several passes through the park.
“Every time you go around you see something different,” Wendy Dowd said.
The Festival of Lights at Washington Park has come a long way since 1981, when it started with a single Christmas tree figure.
More lights kept being added. In 2006 came the designation as one of the top 100 events in North America by the elite tourist organization, the American Bus Association.
The number of displays and lights have pretty much remained constant since.
Michigan City Park Department Superintendent Shannon Eason said people come from the Chicago area, Michigan, other parts in between and, occasionally, from more distant areas.
Some of the sightseers also stop to gas up, have a bite to eat and do a little shopping.
“I think it’s a huge draw not only for the lakefront but for our arts district,” Eason said.
Matt Stark, 23, made the drive from Hammond with his wife, Kelsey, their 2-year-old daughter, Annabelle, and friends.
Stark tries to come every year and especially enjoys the lighted dinosaur figures and firetruck.
“We got about an hour drive back, but it’s worth it. Definitely,” he said.
The lights up until Jan. 10 used to burn 24 hours a day but now operate on a timer, dropping the $9,000 electric bill by more than half.
The lights burn from 4:30 p.m. to midnight and come back on from 5 to 8:30 a.m.
“We still have people driving through in the mornings on their way to work,” Kaufman said.
