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Parks & Rec Business
| Holiday in Lights Fifteen years of drive-through Christmas fun By Sheryl L. Noble Over the hill and through the woods to Hamilton County Park District we go! While not a popular twist on the classic Christmas jingle, this catchy little refrain is certainly familiar to the over 15,000 southeastern Ohio residents who make an annual pilgrimage to Sharon Woods County Park to view the hundreds of sparkling lights and animated figurines (everything from Santa Claus and his elves to Godzilla), dotting a woody, mile-long stretch of paved parkway. The aptly named “Holiday In Lights” display is located just one mile off I-275, a major Cincinnati-area thoroughfare, making it easily accessible to one and all, which was just the point. From Idea To Tradition The spark for this idea came from a local production company that approached the park district asking if it would be interested in creating a convenient, drive-through holiday display, one that allowed patrons to “simply warm up the car, round up their friends, family, or a special date, pop some festive music into the CD player and head to the park.” The answer was yes and, according to Joy Landry, Spokesperson, Hamilton County Park District, “The first year went so well that we decided to continue the event, working to add displays and features each year.” One of those “new” features was Santaland. Located at Sharon Centre, Santaland offered visitors the opportunity to venture from the warmth of their cars to the warmth of the North Pole, where they could enjoy Madcap Puppets, Dickens carolers, a train display, Santa’s Confectionaries, Nature’s Niche Gift Store and, of course, have their photo taken with the jolly old man himself. Over the years, a tried-and-true six-week schedule has developed. This year, the display opens on Friday, November 17th and is open every day (including all holidays) until December 31, 2006. The hours are always 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends (Friday and Saturday). In the spirit of convenience, and true to its original plan, there is no need for patrons to get out of their warm car to buy admission tickets. They can simply roll down the window, pay the admission ($10 per car, $45 per bus and/or 15-passenger van) and drive on through. An Enlightened Partnership As the event has grown, so too has the work -- a point that was driven home seven years ago when the park’s original partner decided to move on to other ventures. The folks at Hamilton County Park District knew better than to try and forge on alone. After doing all the usual legwork, they chose to partner with a local lighting company (Alleen Company) to set up, produce and staff the display during its six-week run. The deal was a true win-win. The lighting company was able to generate revenue during its off-season (the park and Alleen Company share the gross receipts), and the park found a partner who could give full attention to this one project as opposed to sandwiching it in between other gigs. In the end, both organizations were able to concentrate on doing what they were good at and, over time, developed a trust that neither party would let the other down. Four Weeks of Work, Six Weeks of Craziness Just how much work are we talking about? Lots, like four weeks worth. The first step is for the park district to trim the trees and shrubs and prepare the parkways for the display’s installation. Then, according to Barbara Scull, President of Alleen Company, it takes her staff three weeks of concerted effort to physically install, set up and test the display. “There’s a lot of work done up high with a boom and lots of work done down low to generate and run electricity to all the animated displays and lights,” says Scull.”It’s a big effort and attention to detail is critical.” Once the display is up, Scull’s staff turns its attention to the day-to-day details of running the nightly show: keeping the lights and displays working, the pavement clear and traffic moving, plus all those unforeseen issues that arise any time you work with the public. It’s an exhausting effort, but one the folks around Cincinnati will tell you is well worth the effort. Sheryl I. Noble is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Parks & Rec Business magazine. Sidebar: Location: Sharon Woods Park, Hamilton County Park District, Cincinnati,, Ohio Admission: $10 per car, $45 per bus/15-passenger van Web Address: www.greatparks.org Hotline: (513)769-0393 |
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