For the second year in a row, the Wadsworth Chamber of Commerce is putting on a Lightfest at Memorial Park. It opened to the public for viewing on Dec. 6 and will remain open until Jan. 2.
“It’s a community event, it’s not a fundraiser,” said Janie Parish, Wadsworth Chamber of Commerce executive director. “We all come together, the Wadsworth area of commerce, Wadsworth city schools, Wadsworth public library, the city of Wadsworth, and the city council, and our big sponsor is Lowe’s in Wadsworth.”
They use the money they earn from selling each tree to expand the event, charging $125 per tree. In 2024, the event drew around 1,300 attendees.
“Last year we had 82 trees, that was our very first year; this year we had 103,” Parish said.
Each tree is decorated by a business that contacted Parish. They can decorate their trees with ornaments, garlands and lights.
“From this year, some of the trees sponsored [are] AK construction, Bartlett’Cook Flower Shop, the Griswold house,” Parish said. “One of the nonprofits that decorated [is] Friends of Wadsworth Trails.”
The Four Cities Compact also sponsors trees. This year, they sponsored programs in Automotive, Carpentry, Engineering, Media Production and Diversified Medical Technologies.
They had some props around the tree, including senior Reagan Bradley’s star on top of the tree, as well as other items such as a skeleton wearing scrubs and a toolbox from the Carpentry Department.
“It was amazing to be able to see everyone working on it and it actually coming together,” said Bradley.
Bradley made the star, which went on top of the tree. It consisted of wood, paint, and glue. He explains how it took about 10 hours to make.
“Making the star wasn’t too hard,” Bradley said. “It just took a bit longer than I expected.”
For a growing event like this, preparation typically takes around two months. They start planning their spring advertising strategy during the spring and try to find a budget.
“We started [planning] in the spring,” Parish said. “But really, Lowe’s is so good with the trees and lights, and this year, my husband [David Parish] made all 103 of the tree stamps.”
To attract sponsors for these trees, it is essential to start promoting them early to reach a sufficient number of people.
“We start promoting it really by July, then people just contact us, and a lot of the trees that were decorated last year did it again this year,” Parish said.
