INDIANAPOLIS – The Circle of Lights display on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis shines brightly in mid-January, thanks to winter weather that twice postponed the planned takedown.
“We've got some positive feedback from the community saying it's nice to have them still up,” said Jon Hooker, business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 481. “Obviously, us and the city don't want to be those neighbors that leave them up year round, but we're going to get to them this weekend we hope, weather permitting. It looks like it will be in the 50s, so we think we'll get to it this week."
The original plan was to take down the LED lights on January 6th. The temperatures dipped below zero that weekend, so the take down was postponed to January 13th. Then the ice and snow last Friday led to another postponement Saturday.
“Usually it will take 100 to 150 guys and gals to take it down,” said Hooker. “Part of our volunteers are retirees. They're of older age and having them out in the weather and in slippery conditions - we've postponed it the last two weeks to try to get everybody together to do it.”
Now the plan is to take the lights down this Saturday with a crew of more than 100 volunteers from IBEW Local 481, which also has put up the lights for more than 50 years. Takedown takes about five hours.
“This is the first year with the LEDs,” said Hooker. “We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the LEDS that they shine brighter. They look nicer. We didn't have a lot of snow through December and now the snow comes and it looks a lot better on the circle with the bright lights.”
Monument Circle is not the only Indianapolis neighbor with Christmas lights still up. Eyewitness News found plenty of houses on the southside with decorations still up and and lights still hanging.