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Lights signal the beginning of holidays in Mt. Pleasant
Festival of Lights adds new display as they continue traditions
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT — As the calendar flipped from October to November, the Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association flipped the switch igniting holiday tradition in the form of the lighted steam engine located on south side of Central Park.
This year marks the 10th year that the steam engine lights have lit up the square in downtown Mt. Pleasant in the chilly weeks leading up to the holidays. Much like the larger lighted tradition, the Festival of Lights, also put together by the Association, the lights on the steam engine have evolved over the last decade.
“We used to tape strands of mini lights to the engine,” Festival of Lights committee member Melinda Huisinga said. “The tape would then pull the paint off. After the engine was repainted, we started using magnetic strands and switched to LED bulbs.”
According to Huisinga the new process has cut the decorating time for the engine down from eight hours of work down to four. Not only have they streamlined the process, but the committee likes to add new features to the engine each year, as well.
New features added to the display, which now includes nearly 1,000 LED light bulbs, started with animated wheels. Next, they added animated fly wheels, followed by puffing smoke and then fire in the firebox.
Much like the steam engine light display, the Mt. Pleasant Festival of Lights keeps holiday traditions going as new displays and features are added to the route every year.
After a month of hard work putting together the now 1.6-mile lighted route through the Old Threshers Campground, the Festival of Lights tradition will welcome guests for the 11th year beginning with the Holiday Light Stroll Saturday and Sunday Nov. 23-24 from 5:30-8 p.m. Those wishing to enjoy the walk-through night will pay $5 per person for everyone over the age of four and can see all the well-known and new displays from a different perspective.
Returning this year, the Log Village will open up for the night with an 1846 Christmas experience including lanterns lighting pathways and the village. Cassidy House also will be open and decorated for Christmas and offer free homemade cookies and apple cider.
Light viewers in vehicles are welcome to visit the Festival of Lights nightly from Nov. 27-Dec. 31 from 5:30-9 p.m. with the same entrance fees of $10 for cars, $25 for limos, $30 for mini coaches, $60 for motor coaches.
Santa’s House also will open gain this year and is included with admission to the Festival of Lights. Santa will land in Mt. Pleasant Nov. 29 and will be in his house visiting with guests every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the next four weeks. Additionally, Hinterland Diary will provide free hot chocolate served at the Santa House at the end of the walk.
When the Festival of Lights began in 2013 it featured only 60 displays, with over 200 sponsors, the route now features over 180 displays with 25 new ones this year alone.
According to Huisinga, some of these new displays will be featured along the Avenue of Honour which was added to the route in 2022. Sponsors of lights in this display remember or honor their loved ones in five categories. For the last two years these categories have included a star in memory of loved ones, a flag in honor of military and first responders, a gingerbread man in honor of children and grandchildren, and a Christmas tree in recognition of diverse community servants.
This year a purple ribbon also will pop up in the Avenue of Honour display. This ribbon is sponsored by those wishing to honor those fighting Cancer or remember those lost to the disease. Huisinga says the committee opted for the purple ribbon to be more inclusive of all cancers.
While the names of those attached these symbols aren’t on display on the route, they are listed in the brochure guests receive as they enter the festival. One of those names under the purple ribbon is Huisinga’s husband, Alan Huisinga.
“My husband died two years ago of blood cancer and purple happens to be the color for his type of blood cancer, too,” Melinda Huisinga said.
While this cause is near and dear to Huisinga’s heart, she says she was not the driving force for the addition. Just under Huisinga’s name on the brochure appears an anonymous individual sponsoring a ribbon for “all cancer survivors, those suffering or have lost the battle.” According to Huisinga, this is the person that championed adding the symbol.
While all the sponsor spots are filled for this year, Huisinga says those wishing to sponsor a purple ribbon, another symbol on the Avenue of Honour, or other displays along the Festival of Lights can always call the Old Threshers Office to be placed on the list for next year.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
