The 13th annual Northern Spirit Light Show kicks off this weekend at Evergreen Park, but several components of the show will not be part of the 2021 event due to pandemic-related restrictions.
Peace Draft Horse Club President Jodi White says while there will be no locations in which to meet and greet with friends, as there will be no warm-up hall, fire pits, hot chocolate, or horse-drawn wagon rides, he knows the region will still enjoy the event volunteers have put together. He says at the end of the day, they’re doing it so they can continue to give back to organizations and programs in need.
“We’re gonna jump through all the hoops we need to do to provide this for everyone in the region,” he says.
“At least you can load up in the box of a pickup truck and ride through… it’s something, it brings a little bit of Christmas cheer in a difficult time.”
White says so far they’ll be using the funds raised from the annual event to help towards four food banks in the region, in addition to 20 schools for the breakfast and lunch programs. “Then, we pick six charities to give to from the Northern Spirit Lightshow account, and six charities from the Peace Draft Horse Club account,” he adds.
He adds the support they have felt thus far, even in the setup stage, has him feeling awfully grateful for those looking to lend a helping hand during the holidays.
“It’s a lot of hours, but we are getting pretty good at it, and we do have people coming out to volunteer and help, so as the years go by, we are getting faster and faster,” he says.
“We were able to give back a little bit more, and my phone has been ringing off the hook about people looking to sponsor displays, and get involved, it’s a good feeling for sure.”
The 2021 Northern Spirit Lightshow will be open to the public from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. from November 18th-21st, November 25th-28th, December 2nd-5th, December 9th-24th, and December 26th-31th at Evergreen Park.