So many people helped make the 25th anniversary Festival of Lights a success this year, and now the society behind the glorious display is turning to the community once again and asking for help to take it all down.
The Ladysmith Festival of Lights Society is holding a work party to take down the lights Sunday, Jan. 27, starting at 9 a.m.
Volunteers are needed, and anyone who is able to help is asked to call 250-245-2263 or 250-245-5888 or meet at the 49th Parallel Grocery parking lot at 9 a.m. Pickup trucks and bucket trucks will be gratefully accepted during the work party.
A hot lunch will be provided courtesy of Ladysmith Family and Friends.
Festival of Lights Society president Cliff Fisher hopes lots of people will be able to come help out on Jan. 27.
“We normally don’t get as much of a turnout for the take down, which is a bit hard for us, but we depend on the people who came to put the lights up,” he said.
Fisher says the attendance numbers weren’t as high for day of Light Up this year due to the rain early in the day, but they still had a very good crowd estimated at 16,000 to 17,000.
“The business association and shops said it was a success for the community,” he said. “We had an awful lot of happy volunteers. They got very involved and enjoyed it because it wasn’t wet where they were, and they got to engage with the crowds.”
Duck Paterson of the Festival of Lights Society says they have certainly noticed a lot more people walking along First Avenue in the evenings this year and have also noticed more adults with children enjoying the lights at night.
“There has also been an increase in the number of tour buses visiting Ladysmith at night, and there have even been limos touring along First Avenue and other areas of town when the lights are on,” he said.
A great turnout at the work party would be a pretty nice ending to another wonderful Festival of Lights.
— The Chronicle
