Get ready to flip the switch for a big, bright holiday on November 29 as Rochester, Michigan, once again becomes what must be the brightest spot in metro Detroit with its dazzling Big Bright Light Show.
We couldn't resist the lure of the lights last year, when we drove to Rochester multiple times to enjoy what must be one of, if not the, most spectacular light displays in the area.
You'd think it would be difficult to outdo last year's spectacle of one million twinkle lights draping downtown Rochester's building facades, but the city ups the figurative and literal amperage this year with displays featuring over 1.5 million lights and expanding the display area. This year's official light display runs along Main Street (a.k.a. Rochester Road) from South Road to Romeo Road and along Fourth Street from Walnut to Water. You'll also see a large lighted Christmas tree and a light show on the side of the old Western Knitting Mill on Water Street.
A crew began stringing the lights in mid-October in order to get every one of the 1.5 million lights in place by Thanksgiving.
The strings of lights, placed vertically four inches apart, create a shimmering blanket of color along Rochester's Main Street that you must see to fully appreciate.
You can drive along Main Street through Rochester see the show, but it is even better to walk the route. We went during the show's opening night last year, experiencing the street party vibe and hometown pride that sometimes seem all too rare in other cities.
The Big Bright Light Show came out of Rochester's effort to offset the effects of a slumping economy and make the Detroit suburb a must-see holiday destination. Discarding the idea of conventional advertising as too costly for the town's independent businesses and probably ineffective in the face of the advertising muscle of national chains and businesses, someone came up with the bright idea of having a truly spectacular holiday display.
Rochester launched the Big Bright Light show in 2006 with 500,000 LED lights covering the building facades in a four-block stretch of Main Street. More than 30,000 visitors showed up the first night of the show, and more than one million people came to see the lights over the next month.
In 2007, the Big Bright Light Show doubled in size with one million lights strung over an eight-block stretch of Main Street and some other downtown side streets.
The show's November 29 kick-off this year coincides with the city's 36th annual Lagniappe shopping event, and a Kris Kringle open-air market featuring Michigan-made goods and products happens December 3-5 amid the light display on W. Fourth Street.
One of my favorite parts of the Big Bright Light Show is the Snowflake Spectacular with over 75 giant lighted snowflakes flashing in sync with holiday music on the old knitting mill's wall.
Check out the Big Bright Light Show 6 p.m. until midnight each evening from November 29 through January 2, 2011.
If you love bright lights, or just want to experience some real holiday cheer, don't miss it!
© Dominique King 2010 All rights reserved
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