Charles City to let its light shine for the holidays

By Mary Pieper, Special to the Charles City Press

This holiday season, Charles City will have a month-long community celebration anchored by lighted displays in Central Park. Events will include Christmas caroling and horse and wagon rides with Santa.

The celebration is being coordinated by Main Street Charles City, the Charles City Satellite Rotary Club, and other community organizations and businesses.

Events are being planned for four consecutive Saturdays, beginning on Nov. 27 with a kick-off event for Santa’s Shining Lights in Central Park.

Businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to sign up to create their own displays for Santa’s Shining Lights in the park. The displays will be lit every night from Nov. 27 through New Year’s Eve. Prizes will be awarded for the best display.

Those who wish to sign up for a display spot can do so by visiting the Santa’s Shining Lights Display page on Facebook. About half the spaces are still available.

Tami Vetter, a Rotary member who is also part of Main Street Charles City, said Rotary approached Main Street seeking help with Santa’s Shining Lights, which is replacing the lighted holiday parade the Charles City Chamber of Commerce and Main Street have organized in the past.

Joanna Thompson, events coordinator for Charles City Community Development, said things “snowballed” from there.

“We want to coordinate reasons for people to come out and look at the lights every weekend,” she said.

Thompson said she started calling the month-long celebration “Charles City Gets Lit for the Holidays” just as a joke, but “a lot of people are enjoying the idea.”

However, she’s not sure if that’s what the celebration will be officially called.

“I’d like to see if any inspiration comes as we work through this first year,” she said. “Maybe that name will stick. Whatever become the sticking point will likely be what will help stem development and prosperity in this town.”

The kick-off event on Nov. 27 is scheduled from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will include a lighting ceremony for Santa’s Shining Lights. There will be a master of ceremonies dressed as an elf to promote local businesses during the holiday season.

The Charles City Press will be choosing four people from different age groups to turn on the light displays from each corner of Central Park that evening. Those who wish to be chosen are asked to explain on a form available at the newspaper’s website why they believe Christmas lights make the season better.

The form is available on the right side of the newspaper website home page, by clicking on the Santa’s Shining Lights Display link with the elf.

Food trucks will be on site for the evening. The Izaak Walton League will also be there to sell Christmas trees.

All season long, from Nov. 27 to Jan. 1, businesses are encouraged to light their front windows with white lights to welcome people to the business districts, and a map to drive around the city looking at homes decorated for Christmas will also be prepared.

Other planned events include:

• Dec. 4 – Santa’s Arrival organized by Main Street Charles City, including music, horse and wagon rides with Santa, hot drinks and a food truck on site. The evening will also include the annual Hy-Vee candy cane hunt.

• Dec 11 – Christmas Caroling organized by the Bethany Alliance Church and a kids movie at the Charles Theatre.

• Dec 18 – Santa’s Last Stop weekend organized by Main Street Charles City. This will be the last time Santa will be at his house in Central Park to visit with the kids. Another kids movie will also be presented at the theater.

Events are still being planned. Anyone who wants to be involved is invited to call Vetter at 641-228-2657 or Thompson at 641-228-4234.