All lit up

TRI-LAKES AREA — With Halloween over and pumpkins transformed from lanterns to pie ingredients, it is time for workers to scale tall buildings, for ladder trucks to roll quietly out of the fire stations and to make sure there is electricity available at every lamp post.

That’s when you know Christmas is coming.

Government buildings, downtown stores, boat docks, street crossings and even forests in the region take on a twinkle and glow with the addition of lights, ornaments and animated figures.

The lights are meant as a sign of a joyful season for some, a warning that shopping days are dwindling to others, a signal of hope for busy cash registers for shopkeepers and a point of pride in one’s hometown.

Whatever the meaning, the seasonal lights meet with almost universal approval.

“Everyone likes the lights,” said Saline County Judge Lanny Fite, who makes sure the Saline County Courthouse and lawn are ablaze in December. “It seems sometimes that everything is controversial, but I have never heard anything negative about the Christmas lights.” The lights have adorned the historic 1902 county courthouse for years, but one year the county didn’t have the funds for the project, Fite said. In 2002, Fite used leftover funds from producing centennial medallions and sought the support of some local businesses and the lights returned, said Joy Ballard, the judge’s secretary.

“The local businesses came to the rescue,” Ballard said. “Every year we send out a little letter asking, ‘can you, will you, could you,’and each year they do.” This year they are looking for the local businesses and others to contribute around $9,000 for the seasonal project.

New this year are animated displays on the west wall of the courthouse. They include a large stocking on which three elves climb to place presents inside.

Something new, but always traditional, are new lights atop the courthouse.

“We put new lights up there every year,” Ballard said. “We are afraid older ones might go out, and we don’t want to have to go back up there.” The lights will come on the evening ofTuesday, Dec. 1. The county’s fifth-graders can enter an essay contest, Fite said. The author of the winning essay gets to throw the switch and turn on the lights.

As the days before Christmas count down, there will be appearances by Santa Claus, and a stage is set up where the voices of local choirs will alternate with fiddles and guitars.

Hot Springs The lights in and around downtown Hot Springs will come on at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.

24, following a chili cook-off at the Exchange Street Parking Plaza.

“The lights seems to bring downtown alive, and people enjoy that,” said Suzanne Tucker of the Downtown Merchants Association. “It also attracts tourists, and without them, we would be out of business.” Tucker, who operates Historic District Antiques on Central Avenue, said the chili cook-off is expected to attract far more than 1,000 people and that even more should be in the downtown area in time to see the lights come on.

Business organizations, city departments and other civic groups are working together to allow the city to reflect a Christmas spirit.

The lights started going up the Monday after Halloween and includes hundreds of thousands of lights along Central Avenue. In addition, there are 22 animated Christmas Trees on Arlington Lawn, at the north end of Bathhouse Row. A large tree is decorated in Hill Wheatley Plaza with the help of the Hot Springs Fire Department and their 105-foot platform fire truck. Lights will also shine around the parking plaza and its nearby fountain.

The Hot Springs Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Central Business Improvement District members, are decorating downtown light posts with special holiday banners.

Tucker said the lighting and other expenses can run from $10,000 to $18,000 a year. She said tens of thousands of lights have to be replaced each year because they no longer work or are damaged.

“Outdoor Christmas lights don’t last very long,” Tucker said.

The chili cook-off is one of the events planned through the year to help raise funds for the annual Christmas lights in Hot Springs.

“We have been holding three events a year,” Tucker said. “The first is the bathtub races in May with a chicken cook-off.” That is followed with a rib cookoff in July and the chili cook-off in November.

“We added the hay maze last month as a fourth event, but it didn’t turn out very well because of the rains,” Tucker said.

Not only did the month’s heavy rains reduce attendance, but the rains damaged much of the hay maze and it had to be replaced, only to be soaked again later.

“The chili competition will have an estimated 30 cooks entered,” Tucker said.

The chili is prepared through the day and then judged, and trophies are awarded. As many as 150 gallons of chili will be produced and made available to the public.

“There will be all kinds of chili, and it’s all you can eat for $4,” Tucker said. “They begin serving at 4 p.m., and it goes until it’s gone. It’s a great deal.” A contest on radio will select a local child who will get to turn on the lights. The light will shine every evening from dark until around 11 p.m. Tucker said the lights will then be taken down after the New Year and stored for Christmas 2010.

Other light sites Outside the cities, other lights displays are under way during the holiday season.

More than 1.7 million holiday lights enhance the pathways and views at the University of Arkansas’ Garvan Woodland Gardens on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs.

“The lights are in the first 15 acres of the 210 acres of the gardens,” said Marla Crider, marketing director for the gardens. “The lights cover the Japanese garden and the camellia trail back to the welcome center.” The lights will be turned on at 5 p.m. Saturday and will be on each night from 5-9 p.m. through Thursday, Dec. 31, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas nights. The botanical gardens will also feature musical performances including a bell choir, a children choir, vocal performers and a flute ensemble.

“Some of the concerts will be at the chapel, others are at the pavilion, and there will also be vocalistsand musicians strolling through the gardens,” Crider said.

There is an admission to view the lights. For ticket prices and additional information, call 1-800-366-4664 or visit the Web site, www.garvangardens.org.

The Iron Mountain Lodge and Marina on DeGray Lake northwest of Arkadelphia lights up for its 12th annual holiday lights display during the Thanksgiving weekend. More than 2 million lights from the marina, local businesses and visitors at the lodge and marina illuminate the resort and the boats docked the marinas.

“Our customers decorate their boats like many people decorate their homes,” Lodge Manager Vickie Egleston said. “And the sailboats in our cove are decorated. At both places, the lights reflecting on the water is beautiful.” A lighting ceremony on the day after Thanksgiving heralds the arrival of Santa, accompanied by music and fireworks.

Between 50 and 60 people are expected to come view the lights until Thursday, Dec. 31. Admission is free, but visitors will have the opportunity to make a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation. Since the festival of lights began at the lodge, the resort has raised more than $200,000 for the foundation, Egleston said. For more information, call (870) 246-

Tri-Lakes, Pages 133 on 11/15/2009

Print Headline: HOLIDAY LIGHTING A◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊