Here’s why the Festival of Lights went dark
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IDAHO FALLS — The Festival of Lights isn’t coming back, but the city of Idaho Falls isn’t giving up on the holidays.
“The Festival of Lights was an event I think folks were used to going to, and Santa would be at the Festival of Lights in Freeman Park. This year the city is not doing the Festival of Lights. Instead, to my delight, we’re re-focusing all of the energy downtown,” Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director Catherine Smith said in a recent interview.
The Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department built Santa’s Village at the Civitan Plaza after the contractor behind the Festival of Lights retired.
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“We kind of had our hands tied because of that,” Idaho Falls Recreation Superintendent P.J. Holm told EastIdahoNews.com.
Although the Festival of Lights may not come back, the city hopes to keep the holiday spirit every year. This year it’s Santa’s Village. Next year, it may be something else.
“We’re looking at trying to do something down at the falls. Some kind of ‘Deck the Falls’-type experience, or some kind of a light show that would be holiday based and definitely show off some of our assets we have in the community,” Holm said.
If you still want to see beautiful lights, Ammon’s McCowen Park is decked out in holiday glory.