Ronni Hannaman, Carson City Chamber
If you have not seen the holiday light display in downtown Carson City or at the Governor’s Mansion, pack up the family car to come downtown to stroll through the capital complex before the lights are packed away.
Warning: this year, the lights will be removed right after Christmas because of the pending swearing in of Governor-elect Joe Lombardo on Jan. 3, 2023. We guarantee you will not be disappointed.
When it comes to outdoor Christmas decorations, the number of bulbs do matter! And, then what matters even more is how those bulbs are strung. Are they strung with an eye toward artfulness or just haphazardly thrown over branches?
Christmas lighting can create a magical atmosphere and when creatively strung elicits the ahs that bring out the camera to forever capture the scene. Lights help to lift one into the holiday mood.
This year, the crew from the Nevada State Public Works Division went over the top in making downtown Carson City a holiday showplace with the best lighting in all of Northern Nevada. With thousands of new LED lights and an all new more modern theme, the trees take on a whole new art form showcasing their leafless form. Also new was the archway that is planned to be expanded in the future.
It takes patience and time to wrap the trees. And, it takes an artistic eye and a sense of anticipation that the night when the trees are lit for the first time at the Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights, the crowd will be in awe going from the dark to an amazing light show.
I recently had the opportunity to walk through the famous square in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a city known for its art and artistry. I had expected an amazing light display and was duly disappointed that the lights had been haphazardly strung over the trees as we would probably do at our home.
There was no comparing Carson City’s holiday lighting since ours is a true showcase of the artistic talent of the 15 dedicated public works staff who began stringing lights in late September under the watchful eye of Phil Nemanic who has been choreographing the event for many years.
It is this same amazing crew who also created magic at the Governor’s Mansion this year, a site also not to be missed.
If you will recall, in Christmas of 2021, the city installed a whole new set of pole lights in the downtown and chose the form of the snowflake to light the way. They used the older lights to bring some spirit to Curry Street to make this area a true Christmas adventure.
We commend the employees of the State of Nevada Public Works Division and Carson City Public Works Division for cooperating to make downtown Carson City a magical holiday wonderland for all to enjoy.
— Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.
