Holiday Lights History | Part 4
History of Holiday Lights in Decorah, Iowa.
Past Events
Community Setup Day 2005-2015
A community setup day was envisioned as a group effort by volunteers to assemble and erect displays throughout the park. It included persons from all backgrounds, including Luther College students, volunteers, and Helping Services’ staff.
Wanda Hemesath, Decorah city clerk/treasurer, made dozens of phone calls, signing up volunteers to work groups. In tandem with John and Llew Jenkins, enough volunteers were secured for a Saturday setup.
Dennis “Oz” Osmundson joined forces with then president Larry Grimstad of Decorah Bank & Trust. Larry penned the letter that was sent out to individuals, asking for setup help.
Initially, the setup was completed in one big day. With the addition of bigger and more complicated displays, this became impossible. Very early on, the larger displays needed their own experienced crews. This left smaller teams to handle the smaller displays, which was still ideal for a community day.
| Taken from a November 2014 press release: “Over 80 community members recently volunteered for the Holiday Lights setup day. Teams joined together to raise up their favorite displays in a morning of fun, hot chocolate, and teamwork.” |
From 2006-2015, Roger and LeAnn Espe catered the community setup day events. Wanda Hemesath, Decorah city clerk/treasurer, could be seen buzzing around on a golf cart, offering the famous “Norske” bars, coffee, and juice to volunteers.
Participants looked forward to the event, and the camaraderie of a shared meal and a job well done. Eventually, the Community Day was phased out in favor of smaller, easier to manage groups that came throughout November.
Holiday 5K, 2010-2014
The idea of a holiday 5k was proposed by Randy Schissel, to then Holiday Lights event director, Dennis “Oz” Osmundson. Randy had been familiar with other themed 5ks, and thought it would be a lot of fun to host one.
And fun it was! Many people showed up the first year in holiday costumes, including pets and even Santa. The event was promoted as a walk/run for the whole family looking for something to do on Thanksgiving weekend. The entry fee was intentionally kept low to keep it affordable for families.
The event ran for four years, trying out different days and times during the Thanksgiving weekend. Beautiful November days attracted up to 200 participants; poorer weather days did not.
Finding volunteers was a challenge. Combined with the unpredictable weather and logistics, Helping Services chose to discontinue the event. Their eyes were focused on something bigger – a walk through night that would attract more people and appeal to a broader audience.
In 2015, Holiday LIghts launched its first Walk Through Night – an event that would grow to attract nearly 3,200 visitors the night before Thanksgiving [2023 stat].
Covid-19 Pandemic (2020)
The decision was made to continue Holiday Lights during 2020 when almost the entire nation was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic. With volunteers working outside, and families safe in cars, the event went forward.
Consultations with the City of Decorah, Winneshiek County Public Health, and volunteers were considered to make the event as safe as possible.
Fireworks were scheduled as usual. The decision was made to cancel the Walk Through Night for the 2020 season, but open it up, instead, to drive through. Gift bags were handed out on this night in lieu of the Walk Through Night festivities. This promotion guaranteed a traffic jam and folks arriving early to get the limited bags.
Santa still remained at the event, but advertised as “Santa will be safely waving from the sleigh – can’t wait to see you up close next year!” Extra guards were put up to add distance between Santa and the cars to discourage close contact. No candy canes were handed out.
Event greeters were asked to wear masks, generously sanitize hands, and keep a distance when approaching vehicles for donations. Greeters were also requested to limit the number of people in the warming house. If workers identified as feeling ill, or had been exposed to Covid, they were replaced with healthy volunteers. Supervisors were given a list of what needed to be sanitized every night in the warming house.
Despite best efforts, key Helping Services’ staff came down with Covid, right at opening week. Healthy staff doubled up their time to cover for the ones quarantined at home – we can’t say thank you enough to them!
It turned out to be a record-breaking year for Holiday Lights, in both number of cars (529 in one night!) and money raised. As “the only game in town” visitors returned multiple times, happy to leave their homes.
Fireworks, 2014-2023
The first fireworks marked the 10th anniversary of Holiday Lights, in 2014. Jerry Kelly and family donated the fireworks, in part with other sponsors. Jerry volunteered his pyrotechnic experience to set up and launch the fireworks from Pulpit Rock (with permits and insurance in place!).
With help from volunteers, his small crew carried up supplies to the scenic overlook. The fireworks from that location proved to be a beautiful event. Visitors from inside the campground stopped their cars to enjoy them, others watched from the soccer fields.
Mick Layden took over the fireworks in 2019, continuing to light them off Pulpit Rock. In 2021, Helping Services sought approval from the City of Decorah to move the fireworks location to the dike next to the Upper Iowa River (near Decorah High School).
The dike had easier access for the fireworks crew. In addition, visitors could sit in the football stands to enjoy the show, give a donation, enjoy hot chocolate, and learn a little bit about Helping Services. The last fireworks were held in December 2023, with organizers in favor of focusing more on the drive through event.
Past Promotions
Over the years, different promotions were tried out, hoping to attract visitors. In the end, organizers realized that people were happy just to visit the lights.
A memorable handout involved a partnership with local artists/musicians. In 2008, Benji Nichols (co-owner of “Inspired” magazine with wife, Aryn) worked with artists to compile a holiday CD. These were handed out at the drive-through to each car with a donation of $10 or more.
For a few years, Santa gave out a coloring book to kids. It included pictures of displays and information about Helping Services programs. The talented Erin Corradi, staff communications specialist, created them.
A grand prize grocery giveaway was promoted for many years. The team felt that groceries might fulfill a more realistic need during the holidays. Fareway, Walmart, and Quillins participated with winners selected for each store.
Part 1: Starting Holiday Lights
Part 2: Campground Operations
Part 3: Special Features/Walk Through Night
Part 4: Past Events
Part 5: Leadership, Memorable Stories
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This history was compiled by Renee Matt with interviews with Dave Runyon, Linda Watson, Joe & Kathy Schwartzhoff, Dennis ”Oz” Osmundson, Larry Grimstad, Tim Mueller, Jack Barloon, Perry Novak, John & Llew Jenkins, Wanda Hemesath, Carson Eggland, and Jane Storlie.