The kids are back in school and the temperatures are taking their first quick nosedive. It seems fitting that it's time to start thinking about Christmas decorations for Bentleyville Tour of Lights.
That's right. In just two weeks, volunteers will be needed to converge on Bayfront Park to start the setup process for our hometown magical lighting display.
Here's your chance to play a role in the spectacular showcase of millions of lights along our downtown waterfront. Bentleyville is looking for volunteers to assist with set-up every weekend from Sept. 27 through Nov. 2. From unloading cargo containers and assembling displays to restoring and stringing lights, there is a tremendous amount of work and countless volunteer hours that go into this amazing Christmas lighting display. And despite the sudden drop in temperatures this week, we all know that there is plenty of nice fall weather left to spend time stringing lights now rather than during the finger-numbing days later in the season. Plus, lunch is provided by one of our fine local restaurants every Saturday and Sunday.
For those who can't lend a hand on the weekend, crews will be working every Wednesday night, 5-8 p.m., starting Oct. 1. Grab your colleagues or your neighbors and get a group together to volunteer your time and talent. Approximately 170,000 people attended Bentleyville last year, so your volunteer efforts would be making a significant impression on those who experience the magic of visiting this display.
Bentleyville even went on the road this summer and was fortunate enough to have a display at the Minnesota State Fair. This gave the event tremendous added marketing exposure and many fairgoers were eager to dream about Christmas while they fought the heat during the great Minnesota get-together. It allowed Bentleyville to recruit new visitors and reinforced that previous visitors were making plans to come back again this year.
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We're fortunate to have an amazing attraction like this on our downtown waterfront and I ask you to show your support by offering a few volunteer hours to help bring it to life. If you do any decorating at your own residence, you know how gratifying it is to secure the last strand of lights and plug them in. Even a small effort down at Bayfront Park makes a big difference - especially if thousands of residents dedicated a few hours.
If you would like to offer your time to make the season brighter, just stop down to Bayfront Park on designated volunteer set-up days or visit www.bentleyvilleusa.org for more information. Together we can all make a difference.
Kristi Stokes is the president of the Greater Downtown Council in Duluth. Contact her at 727-8549 or at kstokes@downtownduluth.com .
