Holiday light display raises nearly $900,000 for charity

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - It is the season for all kinds of holiday fun. That includes an extravaganza of lights in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

Upper’s Winter Fantasy of Lights is described as an old-fashioned celebration of the holidays.

“At the end of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ it says to keep Christmas alive in your heart year-round. This truly does that,” Lesley Hayman, who started volunteering in 2018, said.

There are dozens of different dazzling displays to discover at Harrison Smith Park.

“We have 33 acres at the park that we decorate. We start in October. We have things like Santa’s stable, poinsettias, carousel and a gingerbread house. There are dozens of displays,” Pat Eyestone said.

Eyestone has been volunteering for more than 15 years and says it takes hundreds of volunteers to bring the event to life annually.

“We were asked to be part of it in 2006 and we’ve been part of it ever since. It’s our project, and it’s one of the easiest ways I know to give back to the community,” Eyestone said.

The cost is $10 a carload and the money raised goes right back to the community.

The event started in 1997, and since then, Eyestone said hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for charity.

“In 26 years, we’ve given out $865,000,” Eyestone said.

The goal is to add at least $100,0000 to that total this year.

Hayman said proceeds from the 2023 edition will go to the Mohawk Local School District for an inclusive playground and a local youth center for an outdoor space.

“We try to donate to things everybody will benefit from,” Hayman said.

There are nearly 100 different light displays in the park. Families, businesses and organizations work on them, and most are handmade.

“It takes about half-an-hour to drive through the park and see everything. We’ve had people go out the exit and come right back in, and that’s fine,” Hayman said.

All kinds of people and their pets have enjoyed the display.

“We’ve had tractors pulling hay wagons come through, golf carts, convertibles with the top down in the snow. And we don’t just welcome people,” Hayman said. “We’ve had animals too. Dogs, cats, even a monkey and a lemur have gone through. And the animals seem to enjoy the lights too.”

So just how many lights are there?

“You know, people ask us that all the time, and we haven’t had anyone come out and volunteer to count. So we’re just going to say millions,” Hayman said.

Upper’s Winter Fantasy of Lights runs every night now through Dec. 30 and it is open both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

It also includes holiday music with a radio station customers can tune to with a Christmas playlist as cars drive through the display.

Donations are also accepted.