History of the Festival of Lights

Many hands make light work, as the old saying goes.  That surely applies when it comes to staging The Idaho Festival of Lights.

But two men, both of whom have departed this life within the past two years, were responsible for planting the seed, getting people to see the vision, turning on the lights and moving onward over 20 years ago.  Wayne Bell and Walter Ross both were champions of the Festival, and were driving forces in its creation - with a community willing and ready to pick up the torch and make it happen.  They were co-publishers of the The Preston Citizen for several decades.  But they also both served terms as mayor of Preston, and on various civic committees and endeavors over the years.

The Citizen sat down with Wayne Bell just over seven years ago to gain his insight and reflection on the annual celebration.

It was actually the widening of State Street, and resultant removal of all of the light poles that used to don the city's Christmas lights, that spawned the idea for the festival, Bell said.  "They put the highway through, widened the street, took out all of the light poles.  That took out all the Christmas lights that used to go across the street.  There was nothing (remaining)," he said.

Armed with about $500 from the chamber of commerce, along with some funds from the City of Preston, the new celebration started to take shape, first as an idea and quickly in reality, Bell recalled.  "We have have these little holes in the sidewalk of the flags.  I decided we'd get Christmas trees to put in them.  We had a light wire above, hung colored spotlights to shine down on the Christmas trees," he said.

"Then someone got the idea 'Why don't we take these natural Christmas trees and paint them brilliant gold,'" he continued.  That led to the purchase of special paint and Palmer's donated use of its shop to complete the paint job. "They looked rather nice," Bell said.  "But as soon as there was a little dust, they looked like 100 dead Christmas trees.  And the only time we could us the spotlight was when all of the stores were closed and their light signs were turned off."

As with most things, the festival as it is now, has been developed over the years.  "We got the trees that hung in the intersections.  It started looking pretty good.  Good ol' Walter (Ross) started talking the merchants into lighting their buildings.  It was really quite impressive."

Bell came up with the idea to add a whole festival idea to the holiday lights.  "I suggested we ought to have a festival - turn all the lights on at the same time.  We got a tenor from Pocatello to come down, asked all the (LDS) wards to contribute a chorus to come into the center of town and sing 'O Come All Ye Faithful,' and the tenor started signing the 'Old Lamplighter Song.'"

Ross, ever the salesman, continued getting ever-more merchants to agree to light their store for the occasion, while Bell put his energy to enhancing the actual festival.

Early on, it was decided to stage a big program on the Friday night after Thanksgiving.  "Arrangements were made to put light switches on the poles," Bell said.  "We'd turn out all the street lights, including the city ones; at the proper time we'd switch them on."  That led to the decision for a show to be added, which led to the creation of the electric light parade that now wends it way down the center blocks of State Street on the Friday and Saturday evening following Thanksgiving.

A sound system was eventually installed to project the music throughout Preston's business district.  It plays throughout the holiday season, during much of each day.

The late Jay Moyle, who provided so much enjoyment to many in the county for his fireworks for his fireworks displays i Clifton and beyond, was enlisted to create a festival fireworks extravaganza.   "When the lights went on, they (fireworks) went off," Bell said.  And then children's activities were added, which include the kids' parade, kids' free movie, and a kid's stage program.

The International Bed Race was the brainchild of today's Citizen publisher, Kelly Mickelsen.  He gleaned the idea from Vancouver, B.C.  The old Lamplighter was invited to throw the switch to the parade, first held only on Friday and then expanded to Friday, and the bed race became a staple of Saturday afternoon, no matter how cold, Bell said.  The festival has grown, over the years, thanks to financial and other support from many groups, and the hundreds and thousands of volunteers, including those who will lend a hand again in the coming weeks.

It now draws visitors from all over Idaho, from Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and probably even further afield.

(This history is from an article published by the Preston Citizen, November 2008)