River of Light Tour Illuminates City Until January 19
Idea from West Virginia |
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Terry Watson works the phone for another sponsor for the River of Light Festival.
Depiction of City Hall in Bay City is
typical of Light Displays
It was a fateful stormy night on the highway near Wheeling, West Virginia, on October 31 seven years ago.
The result of the events of that night led to the River of Light Festival in Bay City, enjoyed by more than 50,000 persons each year, and a project that could be the biggest boon to tourism Bay City has ever seen. The River of Light is a six mile driving tour of larger than life Christmas and holiday season light displays in Veterans Memorial Park, Bay City, that runs from Nov. 29 through Jan. 19. The main entrance is located at the foot of 9th Street at the rear of F.P. Horak Printing Co.
Terry Watson and his family were forced off the road near Wheeling, West Virginia, by a freak snowstorm. They got their vehicle off the road andtook refuge in the Ogelbay Park Lodge, a place they were familiar with from summer trips.
Watson, former policeman and the driving force behind the famed Bay City Fireworks Festival for more than two decades, was startled by lights soaring two to four stories high popping up all over at the park.
"It was like nothing you'd ever seen before," said Watson, now in client relations/sales for Northern Concrete Pipe, Inc., of Bay City. "They were just testing and I saw a huge American flag all lit up. I thought: I've got to bring that back to Bay City for the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival."
Back home in Bay City, Watson couldn't get the light display out of his mind and determined to find out how the project was accomplished. He went back during the light display and met Bob Otten, now 78, an architect, artist, inventor and designer of the 50 displays at Wheeling.
"Since then we've become real good friends and he's been to Bay City and we've taken city officials to Wheeling," Watson recalled.
"I made a proposal to the city: You put in the infrastructure and I'll form an organization like the Fireworks Festival."
"The city put up $150,000 for the start up, underground wiring, light panels, etc., and we went out and got sponsors," Watson recalls about that first year, 1997. the cheapest display cost about $4,000 to erect, most are about $10,000 and the cost ranges up to $15,000. Volunteers this year built a display for Downtown Bay City for $8,000that otherwise would have cost up to $19,000. The River of Light Tour is now in its third year. The number of visitors is growing each year, but could be greater if money could be obtained for more marketing, Watson surmises.
Cost of the electricity alone is $9,000 per season, which runs from Nov. 29 through Jan. 19. Income is steadily growing from a $5 per car one-time-only fee to drive the tour. The fee is charged only for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The rest of the week it is free to all comers.
See More River of Light Pictures HereDoes the River of Light Tour provide tourism benefits to Bay City and Bay County? Absolutely, Watson emphasizes, pointing to Wheeling where five motels were built in the past 10 years and are booked three weeks in advance during the season. There are three mile backups at the festival and you wait two hours to get into a restaurant, he said. Hopefully, the same kind of results willbe experienced in Bay City.
Wheeling has been operating its light festival for 15 years and now draws two million people in 90 days. Last year the lights brought in 2,000 bus tours at $100 per bus, a total of $200,000 income from buses alone. Figure it out: it's big business, and the greatest tourism draw ever. But, Watson states, Wheeling has a $1 million per year advertising budget for the light show. Wheeling charges for its light tour seven nights a week.
This year more than 200 people transformed Veteran's Memorial Park into a Living Christmas Card. You could see the three wise men and their live camel, Roman soldiers on horseback guarding the gates to the city of Bethlehem,and the tax collectors registering the people. And of course the Christ child in a manger with Mary and Joseph and live animals nearby. The Living Christmas Card was put on by the Lutheran churches of the area, headed by Trinity Lutheran Church of Bay City.
"Thousands of people have seen this event eachyear and have marveled at the displays and costumes of the actors," said Watson.
Shirley Roberts, executive director of the Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, says several tour buses, at $50 per bus, viewed the displays this year. She is hopeful for improvements in the displays and a coordinated marketing effort which could attract even more tourists. "We are willing to do whatever is necessary to help make this project a tremendous success," she said.
There is no doubt that Fireworks Maestro Terry Watson has hit on another winner, and one which could put Bay City even more solidly on the map for tourism in the State of Michigan.
To volunteer or donate to the River of Light Festival contact Terry Watson at Northern Concrete Pipe, Inc., 401 Kelton St., Bay City, MI 48706, 989-892-3545. pr 989-239-9476. For more information about the River of Light Festival access the website at www.BayCityFireworks-Lights.
See More River of Light Pictures Here
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