Holiday Fantasy in Lights open to the public for 32nd year

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Olin Park is lit up once again for the 32nd annual Holiday Fantasy in Lights display. The lights are on from dusk until dawn until January 3, and are free to view.

The Electric Group with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 159 (IBEW), National Electrical Contractors Association Wisconsin Chapter (NECA), and additional supporters and volunteers work to power the lights and run the booths, which will be on for seven weeks.

Ken Jungenberg, referral agent with IBEW Local 159, said the lights offer a safe way for families to celebrate the holidays.

“It’s a great safe way for families to come out and get together and look at the lights, it’s a free event and it’s open all the time," he said. "It’s just something that people can come down and start the season out, spread some cheer.”

While the lights may be up over the holidays, Jungenberg said months of work go into preparation, and the display is an organized effort between different groups, including NECA and IBEW.

“It’s all year round, usually in August we have retired people come in and start working on displays, we pull them out of the trailers and light them all up, get them ready to go, then pack them back into the trailers so they can get hauled down here," he said. "And then we start assembly for two weeks with the apprentices that come out, and contractors help out with the Intentional Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. All kinds of people coming down here to help.”

Jugenberg said this year, there are a few new light attractions, including elves winning the slot machines from Ho Chunk Gaming, among others.

“It’s something that generations of families can enjoy and come back and see the different changes," he said.

Copyright 2020 WMTV. All rights reserved.