Sunday, September 16, 2012
Allegheny County pulls plug on holiday lights at Hartwood Acres
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Citing rising costs, tight finances and less sponsorship, Allegheny County is pulling the plug on the Celebration of Lights at Hartwood Acres this Christmas season.
"The event was getting costlier and costlier, and more and more of the expense was shifting over to the county," County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said today.
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16 comments:
I first clicked on this article because this summer I got the pleasure of working at a fireworks festival which happened to be at Hartwood Acres, selling beer. Hartwood Acres is beautiful and it is a bummer that they are going to shut down this festival. At first I was suspicious of them spending tax payer money on a festival of this nature, but then I realized that this actually makes money for charities. It is sad, but I guess of things that have to go in this economy this is better than libraries or schools or something of that nature.
It is unfortunate to see holiday traditions such as these go away. Although I have never been to the Hartwood Acres holiday lights, I used to always go to holiday drive-through lighting set ups each year. I was surprised to hear that the total cost of this event is 1.5 million dollars. That's roughly $0.75 per lamp according to the article, which seems very expensive. I'm sure that the labor and lighting structures are a little expensive, but it sounds like it's just a rental if the events costs that much per year.
As it has been said, it is very sad that this has to go. I wonder how the decision was made - based on cutting it completely, scaling it down, or taking the entire cost to the county. Hopefully someone will come up with some money or try and revive the tradition. To raise money for this they could not only ask for charity donations but up keep donations. Hopefully something will happen to keep the spirit up and not disappoint the children...
Ever since I can remember, Christmas has been my favorite time of year simply because of the lights. I have always loved seeing my neighbors' design choices, picking my favorite exhibitions and combining the parts I think work best in order to design my own. It tears my heart to see such a wonderful tradition as the Hartwood Acres, especially since it benefits those less fortunate than us, crashing and burning due to America's suffering economy. Maybe a volunteer effort could be organize to get this wonderful program back on its feet.
It saddens me to see holiday traditions cancelled, but the economy being what it is, I think the majority of people will understand. I'm surprised the festival lasted this long. It was only a few years ago that our economy was spiriling out of control and funding for this event was getting scarce. It is my understanding that tax payers were paying for a portion of it. People that say tax payers money shouldn't go to events such as this are probably the same that say we should cut art funding. These types of events are important. The economy is good when people feel good.
In Miami, I used to work at a Christmas display that was a county staple tradition for over 40 years. There were people from around the world who came to see it, I even met people from Switzerland who were visiting relatives in the US and who wanted to come see the display. When the owner of the property passed away, the display went away, and the community was extremely disheartened. I'm sure the people at Hartwood Acres feel the same way, as well as the surrounding communities. Why not just keep some elements of the display or bring it to a smaller scale?
This is a giant shame that they are closing this drive though light show. I know that when I was younger a big part of the holiday time was to go to one of these drive through light shows and I know of a lot of people that go to different ones each year and sometimes driver hours traveling to see as many as they can. This is showing that the government is totally cutting down on supporting the arts spending and it is a total shame that they are doing this. All kinds of art can be appreciated by many different people, this is just one of those unique ones. I hope that they get the equipment that they use so that once they get a big sponsor back they can do it. I know that there is a lot of cutting going on in government and this was probably the best thing to cut vs. safety of the public.
It is such a shame that events that could get people work and bring Allegheny residents together is cut because of the economy. I know that this past summer many states had to cut their 4th of July fireworks due to cost as well. In NYC many fire work shows and parades are able to rely on private funding, and I have always enjoyed those festive times. At the same time states need to be selective about where they spend money, that I defiantly agree with.
Who doesn't like pretty lights? I understand cutbacks have to be made but why not just have a smaller display? colorful lights are awesome. why not throw a fundraiser or get more sponsorships. It seems like this is a popular tradition here and it would be a shame to just not have it anymore. In sure if enough businesses pooled money together they could still put on the how.
At first, when I read the article, I did not think the decision was a big deal. Coming from Arizona, I see Christmas light displays that are really bad: the images are bad, the design is bad, the fact that the desert is boring is bad. But I looked up Hartwood Acres Celebration of Lights, and I was amazed at how different the light shows are. Here, the trees support and compliment the lights, making the show a wonderland. The show is not just a bunch of lights sticking up from the ground, it is a part of the scenery that transports the viewers to another world. I understand that the city's finances comes first, but it would be nice if a few sponsors could get together and put on at least a smaller show. I know I would love to see it. I'm crossing my fingers that something can be done.
Every year my family and I go to a different celebration of lights, Ive never been to the one in Hartwood Acres but Ive been to ones in Texas, Arizona, Minnesota, and Alabama. They were all awe-inspiring and Im sure that the Heatwood Acres one was just as beautiful. Thats so sad that it will not be able to continue its tradition this year. Not only will it be a sorely missed opportunity for the families and everyone in the county but also people in surrounding areas. Not to mention the charities that wont be getting the help they need. I never realized how expensive shows like that are but I have noticed that almost every one Ive been to has had a fairly major corporation as a sponsor. I hope this article will bring awareness and perhaps attract a new sponsor for the years to come.
I was really sad to see how an Increase in financial burden even affects America's most celebrated holiday, Christmas. That means that there will be lighting going on during winter, which is the most important part of the season. It is also sad that other organization can't support Hartwood Acres anymore. I can see how this event was for mere pleasure and celebration not for profit, but it has to close. I am getting melancholy how these decisions will be made from other places too and it will be hard to see brilliant colors of lights that used to be in everywhere anymore.
I am going to launch into a little bit of political and economic theory here. So, no one wants to see the Hartwood Acres lights display go away. I have been there a 7 or 8 times over the last 15 years. It was extra special when I took my 3 year old daughter. Nothing is more magical that a giant blue twinkle forest. Reading through the previous comments people often use the word “sad” or “shame” describing the eminent closing of it. And I agree.
However, we want the local budget to be balanced. We should not be spending money on twinkle lights that we do not have. It was great when UPMC was picking up the tab and perhaps an appeal to them would save the display but they are not required to do so. (Unless we pass a law.) Another concept would be just charge each of the 170,000 attendees $10.00 a piece for entrance to cover the cost. However, attendance I am sure would fall off and we may be in the same situation.
Here is the situation, we want a holiday light show, we want a ballet, we want public art pieces BUT we do not want local budgets busted. Therefore . . . I got nothing. A new tax to fund a holiday light shows?
Always winter, never Christmas.
Growing up in North Jersey every year we would drive by a row of houses in a rich section of Mahwah NJ to see a Christmas light display. It began when one home-owner decked his house in blue Christmas lights and played the Elvis Song, "Blue Christmas" over a PA system he set-up outside. Each year the light show got bigger and bigger and eventually neighboring houses added elegant displays of lights and automated Christmasy things. (Though my favorite house was the one at the extreme end of the block where cars had to turn around to leave the culdesac. On their lawn was a simple, illuminated menorah.)
These home-owners footed the bill. And every year there was an article in the paper about how much their bills were. Etiquette says you should take the price-tag off of gifts but in this case it was a nice statement to show how much time, work, and money went into selflessly pleasing strangers in their cars for a few weeks in December.
Eventually the Elvis homeowner - colloquially dubbed Elvis - was unable to pay for the display and the show got smaller and smaller as did neighboring houses until eventually the street went dark a few years ago. Sad Christmas.
Too often we look at the pricetag and the materialism of the holiday season. Sometimes looking at the pricetag makes you really understand the gesture. This sounds like a big loss to the festivities of Allegheny County. It is a shame to see it go.
It is so unfortunate that these charities will have to suffer due to budgetary restrictions. I hope another, less expensive, way is thought of to attract people and raise money for these charities. It is of course also a shame that seeing this light show was a lovely tradition for many that must end, but with the economy in the condition that it's in, I am sure many will understand the decision that's been made. Maybe they will come up with a less expensive solution to raise money and celebrate the holidays.
Everyone loves Christmas, right? Well, except maybe the roughly 6.5 billion people in the world who aren't Christian or culturally identify with Christianity. I like Christmas lights as much as the next red-blooded American, and for many of the same reasons, I'm sure. Reminds me of a simpler time, family, tradition, etc. etc. But even I am willing to admit that civic displays of this kind are a thing of the past, and maybe not such a bad thing. Ignore if you choose the frivolous (and by this I simply mean not necessary) cost in money, in civic resources, in energy, and in this case gas and carbon emissions (c'mon people, if you're going to go xmas light-gazing at least get out of the damn car). I hope, however, that it will be increasingly harder for us to ignore, in our ever more culturally diverse and, with any luck, tolerant culture, the alienating effect such a conspicuous national celebration of a religious holiday must be to those outside the culture. I think everyone should be able to celebrate their holidays however they choose, I just don't think it's such a bad thing that our local governments aren't going to waste as much time and treasure on it this year. And hey, who knows, maybe some of those families that otherwise would be packed up in the station wagon, ogling the pretty lights twinkling through clouds of automotive exhaust will go take a walk in the winter woods instead.
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