Light Up Middletown Set to Begin November 27th

On Friday, November 27th, the drive-through light display in Smith Park in downtown Middletown will light up at 6:00 PM. This is the eleventh year for the event that will run every night through New Year's Eve until 10:00 PM, regardless of weather.

If you're looking for an inexpensive holiday activity for the family, Light Up Middletown is a great opportunity. Admission is a donation of any amount. Bring the whole family out to tour the 100 acre park, see the tunnel of lights, the floating sea serpent, a huge Santa's workshop, the penguin village, an airplane, hot air balloon, this year's new candy-cane entrance, and so much more. In addition to the animated lights displays, Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children every Friday and Saturday evening through December 19th, from 7:00-9:00 PM. For a suggested $10 donation, you can have photos made with Santa.

On December 8th, the annual hot air balloon glow will be added to the display. Ten balloons will inflate and glow like giant ornaments. There will also be entertainment and food on those nights, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM.

Light Up Middletown is constructed and maintained by a group of seventeen volunteers known as the Grandpa Gang. With local businesses providing assistance, such as heavy lifting equipment, the men work from mid-October until opening day to make each year's event is unique and better than ever. For the second year in a row, the group is working to exchange incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs that use less electricity.

If you're interested in bringing a large group, motor coaches, buses, and motor homes are welcome. All arches will accommodate large vehicles. Smith Park is located at 500 Tytus Avenue and every entrance into the city has "Light Up Middletown" signs pointing the way. For more information, call Flo Randall at 513-423-1877 or 513-267-2789.

Light Up Middletown Light Display

Light Up Middletown is dependent on the donations they get at the entrance gate to keep the drive-through light display up and running. They do not charge a specific amount just whatever the public has to offer. The display has been open for two weeks and since then there have been 5,710 vehicles carrying 19,219 people who have been through the park that is 100 acres of Christmas lights.

On Thursday, December 11th the hot air balloon glow, integrated within the other light displays had a total of 531 vehicles and 1,792 people. The pilots inflate their balloons by firing their propane burners which causes them to glow. The pilots are not paid to do this they are just donating their time to the community.

On Friday and Saturday nights Santa and Mrs. Claus will allow small guests at the Santa House in Light Up Middletown from 7-9 p.m. Light Up Middletown will be open every night through New Year's Eve at Smith Park.

Light Up Middletown Gets Help From Police

Since the weather has been nice out lately the Light Up Middletown Grandpa Gang enlisted the help Middletown Police Water Rescue Team. They are going to help tow the animated, lighted swans to the middle of the Smith Pond.

This year it will start on November 28th in Smith Park. It is located at 500 Tytus Avenue, in downtown Middletown. This will also be the 10th anniversary of the event and the 10th time the Middletown Police have helped tow the swans to their place of honor. In earlier years the swans were anchored down by a heavy rope, but now that the beavers and other animals in the pond have chewed them up they are down anchored by sturdy cables.

The Grandpa Gang consists of mostly retired men. They start work around mid-October and go through Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. One person goes each night to turn the lights on and off.

There are always a lot of people that come to visit the light display. For example families, sports teams, senior center tour buses and traveling motor coach groups visit the display as a tradition for them.

Admission is a donation. It will be open every evening from November 28th through December 31st from 6-10 p.m. The weather will not make the event close.

Light Up Middletown Continues To Attract

Light Up Middletown, the annual Smith Park non-profit event organized by area volunteers has brought in over 4,000 vehicles with nearly 15,000 people inside them since it began this year on November 23rd. The attraction is open every day from 5:30 to 9:30 P.M. from now through New Year's Eve, regardless of weather or holiday.

Admission to Light Up Middletown is made through donation at the entrance, leaving you open to donate as much or as little as you want to take the drive around the 100-acre park. Some of the features at Light Up Middletown include the entrance, Christmas Tree Lane, a reflecting pool with floating swans, deer leaping over the road, a penguin village, a butterfly forest, and the new 138-foot-long Santa's Workshop display.

Tonight as 5:30 PM area balloonists will congregate at the park for the Middletown Journal Balloon Glow. Entrance to the balloon glow is free. Also open on Fridays and Saturdays in the park will be Santa House, home to Santa Clause and Mrs. Claus. Photo opportunities will be available.

For another upcoming area Yuletide event, see Christmas on the Plaza at MainStreetMonroe.com. For Light Up Middletown related articles see Light Up Middletown Proves Popular and Light Up Middletown on the MiddletownUSA Blog Forum.