Plaza holiday lighting event set for Friday
‘The New Mexican’ will also introduce 10 Who Made a Difference recipients
The flip of a switch Friday will make a month of elaborate work by city crews “all worthwhile,” said Skyler Nielsen, a parks operations manager who oversees the crews.
The annual Holiday Plaza Lighting, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, is one of Santa Fe’s most popular holiday events and attracts about 7,000 people each year, Parks and Open Space Director Melissa McDonald said.
The New Mexican will also introduce its 10 Who Made a Difference volunteer award winners during the celebration.
Mayor Alan Webber is out of town this week and won’t appear at the festivities, but Mayor Pro Tem Signe Lindell will attend the lighting, city spokeswoman
Amy Akmal wrote in an email.
The Plaza lighting tradition dates back at least to the late 1980s. It has evolved over the decades from a simple strand of white lights to “just a wonderful display of colors,” McDonald said.
“One of the things I personally love about it is … the fact that we have an eclectic look to our display. It’s very beautiful, but it’s definitely creative,” she said. “My excitement is seeing the kids’ faces light up when that switch gets flipped.”
Look for more pink and teal lights this year, she added. The city began stringing lights on the Plaza in late October and finished with a light check before sunrise Tuesday. After Friday, the lights will turn on daily from dusk to dawn until the city takes them down in February.
This is the third year The New Mexican’s 10 Who Made a Difference will take the stage during the event. Since 1985, the newspaper has recognized hundreds of volunteers whose efforts have made outsize impacts.
This year, the honorees include people who have promoted the joy and well-being of animals, children and
families in Northern New Mexico.
Bruce Black helps out at city pools, local shelters and other nonprofits, while Phyllis Bustamante volunteers at city parks, the food bank and Habitat for Humanity. Liz Delfs supports children with miniature equines, and Tony Guiles advocates for foster kids. “Chaplain Joe” Dudziak runs a street outreach mission to serve the homeless, and Carmella Montoya runs a shelter for ill and elderly dogs.
Arlo Namingha mentors young Indigenous artists, and Madeleine Wright promotes African American arts and culture. Betty Sisneros Shover helps families cope with mental illness, and Richard White helps children deal with grief.
The New Mexican will begin publishing their stories in a 10-day series starting Thanksgiving Day.
Meet them all Friday at the festive — and perhaps snowy — holiday celebration.