Light Up Middletown
When: 6 to 10 p.m. nightly, Friday through Dec. 31, including holidays
Where: Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave.
Cost: Admission by donation. All donations are used to purchase, upgrade, repair and replace displays and make park improvements.
More info: www.LightUpMiddletown.org
Special events at Light Up Middletown
Santa and Mrs. Claus
When: 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through Dec. 22; plus Dec. 23
Cost: $10 suggested donation for photo with Santa
Balloon Glow
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 6 (snow date: Dec. 13)
Light Up Middletown officials hope a recent attendance trend continues during the 14th annual event.
Attendance at the annual drive-through holiday light display at Smith Park has steadily increased over the past few years and ranks third in the region in attendance for holiday attractions, according to organizers.
Last year, the event attracted 64,429 people, a 14 percent jump over 2010. In 2010, 57,150 people — 66 percent from Butler County — drove though the display. Organizers hope more than 65,000 attend this year’s event, which starts Friday and runs through New Year’s Eve, said Flo Randall, founder of Light Up Middletown.
Continuing a holiday tradition, local hot air balloon pilots will present a balloon glow from 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6. If there’s inclement weather, the glow will be postponed until Dec. 13.
The all-volunteer “Grandpa Gang” began erecting the 60 displays in mid-October, Randall said. Each display has several components in the 100-acre park, Randall said. It is volunteers like these that “make everything go.”
Admission to the 14th annual Light Up Middletown is by cash donation, Randall said.
Grants from the Middletown Community Foundation and the Perry Thatcher family, along with donations made at the Light Up entrance tunnel, have been used to purchase LED bulbs, new displays, to start a fund for future building expansion and make improvements to the park for all to use, she said.
In 2010, donations were $39,092, or about 68 cents per person.
Randall said diving penguins and beavers chopping trees are new displays for this year. Most of the displays have also been moved around Smith Park to give it “a new look,” she said.
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