SHEBOYGAN — With many events cancelled due to COVID-19, there is one event that already had social distancing as a foundation of operation; the drive-thru holiday lights show Making Spirits Bright. The component that does have group gathering, Quarryview Center, will not be a part of this year’s event.

The need for Making Spirits Bright is greater than ever. While admission is free, food pantry donations are requested. Those items are delivered to the Sheboygan County Food Bank each night and their volunteers disburse to food pantries throughout the county. With the significant increase in people needing help with basic necessities, the event has historically brought in thousands of pounds of donated items each year. In addition, people are looking forward to any options that allow them to participate as usual prior to the Covid challenges.

Purchase of the Memory Ornament has become a tradition for many people. While orders won’t be able to be placed in person at Quarryview Center, the event web site (www.MakingSpiritsBright.com) and newspaper ads will feature an order form. 

Making Spirits Bright at Evergreen Park in Sheboygan, will feature hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights in displays choreographed to music aired on the dedicated 89.1FM radio setting. The show will be open to the public from 5:00 to 9:00 PM starting November 27 and running through December 31 (closed Christmas Eve, December 24). So there may be 34 total nights to drive the 1.1 mile route.  The unknown at this point is whether sufficient people will volunteer to operate the event each night.  The volunteer committee is diligently contacting those groups, companies, and organizations that have expressed an interest or previously volunteered.  In addition they are developing guidelines in compliance with Covid social distancing and safety measures for any volunteers in the park. If you or your organization wants to volunteer please email volunteers@makingspiritsbright.com.

This will be the event’s ninth year and each one gets bigger and better. And, while Quarryview Center won’t be open, the drive-thru lights show “must go on.”

For more details visit http://www.MakingSpiritsBright.com.