A local effort is afoot to turn downtown Iola into a spectacle of lights for the holidays.
A group of about 10 volunteers spent several hours Saturday hanging lights to the tops of buildings surrounding the courthouse square. The strands will accentuate the lights already in place.
“It’s going to add quite a bit,” said Ryan Sparks, one of the volunteers involved in Saturday’s endeavor.
By day’s end, 10 buildings were outfitted with extra lights, pushing the total to 18 for the year.
Organizers have reached out to every downtown building owner, asking them to purchase added lights.
If the owners agree, the volunteers will handle the installation.
Meanwhile, another group of volunteers, led by Humanity House’s Tracy Keagle, are setting their sights on the ground.
Over the past few years, each of the trees on the south side of the courthouse lawn have been trimmed with lights, with several tree-shaped light fixtures added to the mix.
Last year’s display drew scores of admirers on a nightly basis.
This year’s promises to be even bigger and better, Keagle said.
She noted a tree fixture even larger than the one erected last year will be put on display,.
She’s also trying to convince her husband, a welder, to create a three-dimensional, 15-foot snowman to add to the display.
On top of that, volunteers will decorate the courthouse clock, Veterans Wall and bandstand.
The bandstand will feature a special “blessings tree,” adorned with silver and purple ornaments. The silver ornaments will recognize those who have battled cancer; the purple for Alzheimer’s disease.
Anybody wishing to add ornaments is welcome to stop by Humanity House offices at 509 N. State St.
Humanity House is also willing to act as your Secret Santa.
