Festival of Lights Opens Saturday
Constitution-Tribune, Thursday, November 19, 2009

CAPTION: This lighted tunnel, built by Jim Hinrichs and Vern Wascher, provides the perfect entrance to the new children's area at Simpson Park for the Festival of Lights. The park will come alive with lights during the opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m., this Saturday, Nov. 21. The public is invited to watch the lights come on and enjoy hot chocolate, hot cider and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Santa and his helpers are also scheduled to arrive during the evening.

Final touches are being made to the lights and decorations for the opening of the Festival of Lights in Simpson Park this weekend. The lights will come on for the first time this season at 5:30 p.m., this Saturday and remain on during the evening hours through the start of the new year. The opening ceremony will include horse-drawn sleigh rides, hot cocoa, and a visit with Santa.

The lower center circle at the park will be closed from 4:30 until 7 p.m. on Saturday and no through traffic will be allowed between Washington and Walnut streets during these times. Those wanting to go to Saturday’s festival can park along either Washington or Walnut streets or anywhere in the park west of Walnut Street.

There are several new features for 2009, including a lighted tunnel which leads to the children’s area where visitors can see Santa in Santa’s workshop. The park is also adorned with a three-dimensional lighted nativity, new black lamp posts that are festively decorated and many other lighted displays.

One particular addition this year is a power station at the center circle of the park, courtesy of North Missouri Construction Inc., Fellhoelter Electric, Inc., and SMC Electric Supply. Having power accessible in the center circle will benefit not only the Festival of Lights, but many events held at the park each year. This power station supplies power to the 50-foot spruce tree which is fully decorated in lights this year.

CAPTION: This large spruce tree, spectacularly outfitted for the Christmas season, is one of the highlights of the Festival of Lights for 2009. This tree is about 50' tall. More lights have been added for 2009, thanks to the generosity of Chillicothe and Livingston County citizens, businesses, foundations, and organizations. Power was added to the center circle at the park courtesy of North Missouri Construction, Inc., Fellhoelter Electric, Inc., and SMC Electric Supply. Having power accessible in the center circle will benefit all of the events held in the park each year.

Festival of Lights Taking Shape
Constitution-Tribune
Thursday, November 5, 2009

Photo Submitted

CAPTION: The first lights go up at the entrance of Simpson Park for the 2009 Festival of Lights as Darrin Newman and Scott Neill, of Illuminations by Newman, are seen wrapping trees. Darrin Newman and Scott Neill are donating their time to benefit the Festival of Lights that will officially open with a lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at Simpson Park.

Lights and decorations are going up for the 2009 Festival of Lights in Simpson Park. The Chillicothe Parks Department staff has begun the process of hanging garland and placing lights on the hard-to-reach structures and trees. CMU is installing the entrance arches and setting up the displays.

Many local people are giving their time to help place lights on the many bushes, small trees and bridges in the park. Several local businesses are sending groups of their employees to be a part of this annual holiday tradition. Businesses who have donated funds, services or supplies will be recognized on a large sign to be placed across the tennis court fence in the park. The many individual contributors will be recognized in our local papers.

Plans shaping up for Festival of Lights; opening ceremony Nov. 21
Constitution-Tribune, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009

In just a few weeks, the lights will go on to open the 2009 Festival of Lights in Simpson Park. The Festival of Lights will celebrate five years of “making spirits bright” for residents and visitors to the Chillicothe community.

The opening lighting ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, which is a change from past years. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the lights and decorations, Christmas music, hot chocolate, and horse-drawn carriage rides.

The community has been responsive to fundraising efforts, giving more than $12,000 to fund the 2009 Festival of Lights,” according to festival coordinator Barb Burton. Plans for this year include replacing lights with commercial grade lighting and heavier gauge extension cords, phasing in larger low wattage bulbs for some trees and decorating the new black lamp posts along the walking trails.

New features have been added to maintain the integrity of project which has grown to be an important part of the holiday season in Chillicothe, Burton said. The new features include a lighted tunnel over one of the walking bridges, a children’s area, Santa’s workshop, large decorated spruce tree, and a giant new display that is due to be delivered in a few days.

“One of the pleasures of working on this project is discovering the joy that it brings to so many in our community. Many of the donations include notes of appreciation that are very encouraging to our committee,” Burton said. The Festival of Lights Committee includes Janet Barnhart, Kathy Gilliland, Marsha Beetsma and Mary Lou Wilhoit. The committee has been planning since early spring.

Festival of Lights Preparation
Thursday, June 25, 2009, C-T

CAPTION: Chillicothe’s annual Festival of Lights in Simpson Park is months away, but a lot of the behind-the-scenes work is taking place now. Glenn Derickson is going through the process of checking hundreds of strands of lights to make sure that all are in working order. When possible, he makes repairs to the strands if needed. Derickson, 73, is paid through Experience Works, a national, charitable employment program. He will work for the Chillicothe Parks Department throughout the year.

C-T Photo/Catherine Stortz Ripley

If you stop by the maintenance building at Simpson Park, you will find that most of the staff members are not there. They are hard at work at our community’s parks, ball fields and swimming pool. However, there is a guy sitting at a table, surrounded by strands of Christmas lights. He is checking each strand to see if it can be used in a few months during the Festival of Lights display at Simpson Park. If it doesn’t light, he can usually fix it.

Glenn Derickson has already begun to prepare for the Festival of Lights, a dazzling display of lights and decorations that kicks off each November. Derickson, a Chillicothe resident, is contracted and paid through Experience Works, a national, charitable, employment program. He will work for the Chillicothe Parks Department throughout the year. “We’re fortunate to have a person like Glenn who has the knowledge, skills, and experience to help us with this project,” said festival coordinator Barb Burton. “Once we know how many working lights we have, we’ll know how many we need to order. Having this preparation done early will save us time in the fall.”

According to Burton, plans for this year’s Festival of Lights are taking shape. A planning group has formed and includes (along with Burton) Marsha Beetsma, Janet Barnhart, Mary Lou Wilhoit, and Kathy Gilliland. The group has met with other resource people from the community including park staff to develop ideas and set priorities for this year’s display. Several new features have been discussed. A children's area, decorations for the new black light poles, large LED bulbs to decorate one of the large spruce trees, a large nativity incorporation one of the shelter houses, a lighted tunnel and a few other surprises are on the wish list for 2009.

The Festival of Lights is funded entirely through the generosity of the citizens of the Chillicothe community and the surrounding area. Monetary donations are fully tax deductible and receipts will be sent in January. To donate, make checks payable to Festival of Lights and send them to P.O. Box 1032, Chillicothe, MO 64601.