Lighting THE SEASON
W hile a half million lights shaped in an
array of festive displays are the stars in the annual Holiday Nights ‘ N Lights event hosted by Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress , there are dozens of behindthe-scenes volunteers , organizations and businesses that bring it to life .
The 19th annual Holiday Nights ‘ N Lights opens Nov . 18 , 2023 , and runs through Dec . 29 , 2023 , in Greater Ottumwa Park and is expected to again draw thousands of vehicles from near and far to traverse the one-mile route .
“ For families here , this is a very long tradition , especially for locals that come back to visit ,” said Shea Greiner , director of investor relations at Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress .“ As we ’ ve seen over the years , season passes are a big hit . This event has become a family tradition , and people are coming back night after night and year after year .”
And , they make an outing of it , she added , by bringing hot cocoa , apple cider and snacks to enjoy while taking in the lights .
“ It ’ s done with such pride and thoughtfulness ,” she stated . “ It ’ s an amazing group of
volunteers who come every night to check the lights and work the booths .”
Greiner calls the event “ a drive-thru lights extravaganza .”
The lights display is open for 42 consecutive nights , barring inclement weather or excessively windy conditions .
There are plenty of lights , spread out with 80 displays and 94 characters represented . Scenes range from patriotic to seasonal . Some of the displays have movement , and some have sound . One display has frogs saying “ ribbit ” to the tune of A Christmas Carol – a display that ’ s popular with children .
Holiday Nights ‘ N Lights , though , represents much more than a dazzling display . Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress donates part of the proceeds to nonprofit organizations that help with the many volunteer jobs that keep the event running , such as set-up , tear-down and running the ticket booth .
For more information , including how to purchase this year ’ s tickets , contact Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress at
( 641 ) -682-3465.
GOPIP Investor Directory 2023-24
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