In the winter of 2006, Campbell County Parks and Recreation Parks Division staff introduced the 1st Annual Holiday Festival
of Lights at Cam-Plex Park! The display was proposed by Parks Supervisor Wes Johnson in the late summer of 2006.
After given approval to give it a try, he immediately began going to local businesses to see if he could gather
any additional financial support to make the display come to life. Nineteen businesses and individuals showed their
support with either material or financial contributions, and the 1st Annual Holiday Festival of Lights quickly became
a reality!
The idea to create a municipal holiday lighting display came after Parks
Supervisor Johnson attended a school at the
Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV in January 2006. Oglebay is home to the nations oldest and largest holiday lighting display.
Johnson wanted to create something unique, like the Oglebay light show. Johnson also knew he wanted to take the Gillette
display up one notch and create an animated portion that would be programmed to twinkle in-time to music. At the time,
animated displays were becoming increasingly popular due in part to a
YouTube video from a display designed by Carson Williams of Mason, Ohio.
The 1st Annual Holiday Festival of Lights was
launched December 1, 2006. The display featured four static displays and one animated display choreographed to music
broadcast on an exclusive FM station. There were about 25,000 lights throughout Cam-Plex Park the first year.
The animated "Happy Holidays" display featured about 15,000 of the total lights and used 32 channels on the computer
controlled
Light-O-Rama system.
IT'S A HIT!
2007 brought new ideas and more support! The
Festival of Lights received more contributions for the second annual show. In return the size of the display doubled!
More than 50,000 lights were displayed in the park during the second year! The animated "Happy Holidays" display
grew as well! Two additional 16 channel controllers were added to the display bringing the total number of channels
used to 64. Also, this year, more lights were seen in the trees and on additional displays. 2007 also brought
two arches over the entrance and exit to the park. At the entrance a lighted sign introducing "Candy Cane Lane"
(the adopted name for the drive through the display), and at the exit three sets of "Swinging Bells" appeared to
move back and forth over the exit.
The largest and tallest displays (at the time) were also introduced in
2007. The tallest being the "Toy Soldier" which stands at almost 20 feet tall! The biggest display
(at the time) was the larger-than-life "Toy Factory". This animated display stands at 18 feet tall, but stretches
over 100 feet. The display features a holiday style factory with 'smoke' rolling out of the chimney, and wrapped
presents shuffled down a conveyor to an elf that places the gift in 'Santa's bag'. The Toy Factory
became an instant hit to everyone that drove through the display!
MORE POWER!
Soon after the 2007 display closed, Johnson wanted to gather
fresh ideas for new displays. He recruited the help of art students at Twin Spruce and Sage Valley Junior High Schools.
Johnson held a contest asking the art students to draw designs for new displays that could be introduced for the third
annual show. The students responded and submitted more than 50 ideas! Parks and Recreation staff chose four displays
to be created, and introduced those selected to the Festival over the next two years. Those displays, all
of which are part of the show now are:
"Snow Falls" - An animated display of a boy that
walks under a snow-packed tree branch. The snow falls off the branch and lands on top of the boy.
Design by:
Christina Keats
Sponsored by: Record Supply
"Sliding Penguin" - An animated
display of a penguin first in standing position, then sliding down a hill.
Design by: Kristen Poehl & Shadd
Wager
Sponsored by: Campco Federal Credit Union
"Elf Tree-Topper" - An
animated display of an elf that carries a star to the top of a decorated tree.
Design by: Kelsey Hederman
Sponsored
by: American National Bank and Dave's Flow Measurement
"Harley Santa" - Features
Santa on top of V-Rod Harley Davidson with the appearance of the wheels turning.
Design by: Kordell Hunt
Sponsored
by: Deluxe Harley Davidson of Gillette
Also new to the Festival of Lights in 2008 was the massive "Snow
Flake Tunnel". The tunnel is a memorial display built in memory of Gillette resident Ron Block. Planning
for the tunnel began in June of 2007 when Matthew Walker of Powder River Construction contacted Wes Johnson and said he wanted
to sponsor a memorial display for his nephew Ron Block. He told Johnson to brain-storm an idea and propose
it to him. Johnson responded with plans for the largest display yet. The Snow Flake Tunnel would span over 35
feet wide across the two-lane road in and out of the park. It would stand over 25 feet tall (at the center), and stretch
for 100 feet down the road. The tunnel would have 80 custom made giant snow flakes placed on the large metal frame and
visitors would pass under it as they drove in and out of the park.
The idea was adopted and plans for the
tunnel were underway. The tunnel became a huge undertaking. More than 6,000 lights would be on the snow flakes,
requiring more power than what was available. Local electrical contractors were contacted and asked for help.
The response was amazing! A new 600 amp electrical service was installed with 72 individual 20 amp circuits and new
electrical transformer! Installation was completed the day before the tunnel was switched on in 2008!
The
animated Happy Holidays display also grew in 2008. An additional 48 channels were added, bringing the total number of
channels used to 112!
TRANSFORMATION BEGINS!
In 2009 the display continued
to grow! 128 channels were added to the animated display. This included five new controllers for the Snow
Flake Tunnel! The addition of the channels to the tunnel paved the way for a whole new show! The tunnel
became animated and danced and twinkled in time to the music used for the animated Happy Holidays display!
The use of new energy efficient LED lights also began to spread throughout the display. A brand new LED
only display was built and placed at the entrance of the park displaying "FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS". The new LED's
are brighter, longer lasting, and more energy efficient. The transformation has begun on several of the
displays. Sponsors were found and several of the displays became all LED! The goal is to make everything LED in
the next two to three years.
2009 also started a new tradition of giving back to the community. Wal*Mart
associates donated their time to begin "FOOD DRIVE FRIDAYS!" The food drive is an effort to use the spirit
of the lights to give back to to the community. Wal*Mart associates handed out candy canes and collected non-perishable
food items every Friday throughout the season and donated it all to the Council of Community Services! More than 980
lbs of food was collected and delivered to the council!
