ALLENTOWN, Pa. - It’s hard to find anyone in the Lehigh Valley who has not made Allentown’s Lights in the Parkway part of their annual holiday traditions.
The drive-through, ticketed display runs through more than a mile of the city’s scenic Lehigh Parkway, and since its start has been a symbol of the season.
- Allentown's Lights in the Parkway runs for its 26th year this holiday season
- The popular display will continue next year, despite rumors to the contrary, a city spokesperson said Thursday
- The city is looking for ways it can change, not cancel the event, she said
But this year, the very fate of the event – now in its 26th year – gave way to speculative fiction. Rumors swirled, as they often do, following media reports and social media posts in September that Lights in the Parkway could end.
That’s not the case, said city spokesperson Genesis Ortega.
“This will not be the last year for Lights in the Parkway, and we’re very excited for this tradition to continue,” Ortega said in a phone call Thursday.
Work began in earnest in October as city employees kicked off the process of installing more than 300 displays, giving the lights additional texture and depth as they were wrapped over trees or twisted around poles. But it takes a village behind the scenes to make the event possible.
The city’s parks department runs all-hands-on-deck, Ortega said, while others focus on staffing volunteers, securing sponsors and making sure – above all – that the lights go on when they’re supposed to.
It has not come without hiccups, but Ortega said the focus going forward will be on changes, not alternatives.
“Our discussions have focused on ways to improve the experience for our residents and community,” she said.
One issue is the thousands of sightseers that descend on the parkway each year, backing up traffic on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and snaking through surrounding neighborhoods. Another is making sure there are volunteers in place to get cars through the entrance.
This year, the event runs daily from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., except for Christmas Day and inclement weather closures. Volunteers are expected to report no later than 5 p.m., and are expected to be on site until 10:30 p.m., or until the last vehicle in line enters the display.
Ortega said six volunteers, at least 18 years of age, are required per shift or the city has to fill in the gaps with its own personnel.
Volunteer groups are compensated, Ortega said, something that’s been standard for many years.
“The volunteer groups are paid a maximum of $400 per night for 6 volunteers,” Ortega said. “That’s bumped to $800 for those working Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but if a group has less than 6 volunteers, there’s a stipend reduction, and if a group has more than 6 volunteers, no additional stipend will be included.”
The city’s other expenses include rentals such as boom lifts, trailers and portable toilets, along with a multitude of equipment and other associated costs. On top of it, there are other things the public doesn’t think about, such as guidewire used to brace and support multiple displays. Approximately 20,000 feet is necessary for the event.
According to the city’s proposed budget, an update is planned for the Victorian Village section of the display next year, along with replacements to other aging light displays. Estimated costs are running around $35,000 just for the lights in dire need of being replaced.
Even the appearance of jolly old St. Nicholas is a contracted expense (hey, he’s really busy this time of year, too).
One thing for sure as the city navigates future changes is that Lights in the Parkway won’t be a flicker of its former self in 2023.
“The lights people know and love will be on next year,” Ortega said. “This is not the end.”
