 |
| Busy workers from Santa’s Fairways |
CLV’s Festival of Lights celebrates 20 years this year by turning on more power than ever. The last few years have seen fewer people in attendance, so CLV’s Garden Club has rallied neighborhoods to work together to revive this Santa Claus tradition as the event celebrates this milestone.
Garden Club member Marsha Hicks has organized the effort to bring excitement back to the festival. Point people in each neighborhood have encouraged people to pool resources and work together to make the event a success. -“I am extremely happy to see how people are getting together and getting to know each other,” Hicks commented, “regardless of what they are doing for the festival.”
“If we are going to do the festival, we should do it right,” Hicks added.
Some of the neighborhoods have completely changed their themes in an effort to attract people back to the festival. Polar Shores neighborhood has changed their theme to The Polar Express, after the popular children’s book and recently-made movie of the same title. Santa’s Fairways decided to go with the Grinch theme and Whoville. The Melchior neighborhood will add luminaries to their route to light the way. The live nativity will be acted out in the Evergreen neighborhood along Frosty’s Evergreen forest.
Many of the neighborhoods have met several times and have had block parties or cookouts in order for neighbors to get to know one another. Iris Ludwig of the Melchior neighborhood said that she felt really good about neighbors meeting neighbors.
Dee Mulzer, who with Jane Kulbeth originally organized the festival 20 years ago, said it all came about because the “board was looking for a way to enhance the town’s identity.” Around 950 cars drove through CLV the first year. At its peak as many as 4000 cars would drive through CLV.
According to Mulzer, the late Aubrey Freeman was “the brainchild” behind the festival. He suggested doing it after seeing a Festival of Lights in Europe.
Throughout the years the festival has received national recognition from Paul Harvey to USA Today. Even though attendance has dropped the last few years, there are still people excited about making the village look good, Hicks said.
“This year we’re going all out,” exclaimed Mulzer.
Festival Of Lights Route
 |
