How to Light the Park

If you walk into the Copper Harbor Visitor Center today, it would look nothing like it did during the summertime.  Whether you stop in to seek information or to mail a package, you just might forget why you came at all once you feast your eyes on…

the explosion.

Don’t worry, the building didn’t blow up.  Nobody has been harmed.

But all the Christmas lights that were rolled up and stuffed into boxes last spring have now sprung all over the entire post office/Welcome Center.

I will spare you the Full Nelson view of the room and just give you an idea of the chaos — I mean — progress with a couple pretend artistic shots.

Fake tree.  Real lights.  You know that wall!

Bulbs line the entire walkway.

Now, I wasn’t kidding when I said that this is progress.  Two weeks from now most of these bulbs will be bursting with life out in the park.  After all, that is their final destination.

Who does all this?  Is there a Copper Harbor Christmas light committee?  Do Santa’s elves fly down to drink eggnog and decorate the northern most town in Michigan?

No and no.

We have to give this guy credit: Donny Kilpela Jr.

A few years ago Don decided to put up lights in the park to spruce it up a bit.  I mean, it’s so dark this time of year.  He started getting donations and doing it mostly himself.  People would come by to help here and there, and each year his main helpers are different.

Here’s Donny dictating the next move.

After a few years, he started using the community building to decorate the trees indoors where it’s warm and (when I stopped by today) Siberian orchestra music played energetically from an iPad.

It looks a little chaotic in there, I know.  But that’s where the magic happens!

He even dimmed the lights and turned on one of his favorite trees, so you could have a sneak peek.

Kind of looks like the grand finale at the Copper Harbor fireworks show, doesn’t it?

Don articulated how he was going to get this tree through the door.  So don’t you worry.  He already knows where it’s going to go.

He also mentioned that you can be a part of this project!

What are you doing next Saturday, December 7th?  Decorating trees at the Copper Harbor Community Building?  Sweet!  Come on by any time from 3-6pm.  One of our lovely local ladies is making her famous chili.  Don says you can dress for inside jobs or outside jobs.  Whatever you prefer, he’ll have plenty of jobs for you!

And if you can’t make it in a week, make it here in two weeks.  That’s the countdown to the big moment where all this hard work gets showcased: the lighting in the park!

It’s always worth it.

The big lighting happens during Winter Wonderfest on December 14th at 6pm sharp.

Tis the season.  Let’s get jolly!

*This blog is written by resident author and writer, Amanda Wais