NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Ann Mort, 513-649-4506 – rmort@cinci.rr.com
January 3, 2012
LIGHT UP
MIDDLETOWN HAS RECORD YEAR
64,329 people in 18,458 vehicles
toured the Light Up Middletown fantasy light display in Smith Park during 38
nights of operation. The 12.5% increase in guests set new records for the event
which has been a tradition in downtown Middletown for 13 years.
Led by chairwoman Flo Randall, the
drive-thru display is a budget and family friendly event which runs on the cash
donations of those who tour. A portion of the donations is used to “pay” other
organizations whose volunteers staff the entrance tunnel to greet guests and
gather statistics. A donation is made each year to the City of Middletown for
park improvements and the remainder is used to repair displays and purchase new
displays for the next year.
Not everything that drops into the
donation box is cash, however. This year a girl’s class ring from Beavercreek
High School was among the “donations,” along with an ID, a child’s shoe,
buttons, a mostly empty beer can, food and about 25 other items. Those who may have dropped something into the
box by mistake may claim their items within the next few weeks by contacting
the Light Up Middletown committee at lightup@lightupmiddletown.org.
In the next few days Barney
Strassburger and the Grandpa Gang, the all-volunteer work force who maintain
the displays, will be removing and storing the displays and making plans and
repairs for the 14th annual Light Up Middletown which begins the day
after Thanksgiving, November 23, 2012.
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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Ann Mort, 513-649-4506, RMort@cinci.rr.com
November 28, 2011
LIGHT UP MIDDLETOWN BY THE NUMBERS
Opening weekend for Light Up Middletown, a drive-through
fantasy light display in downtown Middletown’s Smith Park, drew 6,401 people in
1,935 vehicles from Friday to Sunday, November 25, 26 and 27.
Friday and Saturday weather brought out crowds
higher than in 2010. Sunday’s rain kept
the attendance low. Light Up’s chairperson Flo Randall said that snowy and
rainy evenings are even more spectacular when the lights all reflect in the
water on the ground and in the lake.
In 2010, during those first three days, there were
6,987 people in 1,977 vehicles who drove through the tunnel of lights and
toured the 100 acre park with thousands of twinkling lights in animated
displays.
The event, now in its 13th year, has
grown tremendously from its beginning when only a few displays were in the park. Not only does the all-volunteer Grandpa Gang
add to the number of displays each year, but now switch a few displays from
regular to LED bulbs each year.
According to Barney Strassburger, Grandpa Gang crew
chief since the beginning, the new 100 foot by 33 foot whale display contains
about 7,000 LED bulbs.
Strassburger and his crew’s plans for next year’s
include changing the 138 foot long by 27 foot tall Santa’s Workshop display
which contains 7,049 bulbs to all LED. The new LED bulbs not only are brighter
and make displays more distinct, they use far less electricity. For instance, that Santa’s Workshop now
requires 24 extension cords using 250 amps of current. After the LED change-out
it will require only 3 extension cords and use 21 amps.
“How many
bulbs are in all these displays?” Strassburger says they’ve never counted, but
there are 50 lighted snowflakes used as filler displays and each one takes an
average of 100 bulbs.
Light Up Middletown is open each night 6-10 pm
through New Year’s Eve, December 31. Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children
every Friday and Saturday evening 7-9 pm through December 23. Photos available. The annual hot air balloon
glow is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, from 7 to 8 pm, weather permitting.
Admission is by donation. Guests set their own
price of admission. Donations are used
to repair, replace and purchase new displays, share with the non-profit
organizations who staff the entrance tunnel and make upgrades to the park.
For more information contact Chairperson Flo
Randall at 513-423-1877 or visit the website www.LightUpMiddletown.org. ####
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