New Light Displays set to Enhance Holiday Lights in the Park in 2015

ST. PAUL, MINN. – November 16, 2015 – The Saint Paul Police Foundation announced today that Holiday Lights in the Park, the Midwest’s largest outdoor holiday light display will illuminate St. Paul’s Phalen Park for an eighth straight year. The lights are set to go on Tuesday, November 24 and brighten the season until January 1, 2016.

For 39 evenings Phalen Park will be lit up with a wide variety of holiday-themed displays. Visitors tourthe displays in the warm confines of their vehicle, making weather a non-factor. More than 20,000 cars have visited Holiday Lights in the Park in each of its seven previous seasons making it the area’s largest nightly holiday celebration.

“This will continue to be a very family-friendly event that has something for everyone,” said Susan Jones, Co-Coordinator of Holiday Lights in the Park. “Ninety-five percent of the displays are new to the event, which will provide visitors with a fresh take. Whether it’s your first time or if you’ve come every year, you will see something brand new.”

On top of treating visitors to some the best light displays around, the Saint Paul Police Foundation raises funds at the event to make the St. Paul area safer for citizens and law enforcement officials.

“What we aim to do is to provide funds to the St. Paul Police Department to enhance their service to the community,” said Jones, who herself is a retired SPPD officer. “There are so many things the department does that city just can’t fund. We strive to help fund those things that go above and beyond what the typical police budget can do.”

Jones said an event like this couldn’t happen without the dedication of numerous volunteers, including the department’s Reserve Unit, Explorer Program, Historical Society, Band and the Mounted and Motors Units. Volunteers from the St Paul Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) the SPPD Reserves and Explorers and Police Officers will be on hand each night to make sure the event runs smoothly.

“Without the time and expertise of our volunteers, this event wouldn’t be the success it has become,” said Jones. “This event brings everyone together to make St. Paul a better place. It’s an unbelievable feeling to see volunteers from all walks of life and visitors from across the state all come together to showcase our city and make it even better in the process.”

In the past seven years, Holiday Lights has raised nearly $400,000 for a variety of St. Paul and East Metro nonprofits. This year, proceeds from the event will go to support the work of the Saint Paul Police Foundation, the Union Gospel Mission Child Development Center and the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy. Since its inception in 2005, the Foundation has raised nearly $5 million to help support numerous SPPD initiatives including providing lifesaving equipment, Shop with Cops, the Safe City Camera program, Cops and Kids program and a variety of resources for crime victims.

Once again this year Holiday Lights will host a number of promotional nights. According to Jones one of the most popular promotions is Military Night on Tuesday, December 1, when active and retired servicemen and women receive free admission to the event.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to see our military members receive the recognition they deserve,” said Jones. “The appreciation shown on that night makes me smile. Holiday Lights is all about creating smiles and supporting our officers.”

Holiday Lights 2015 Media Preview and Set Up:

Thursday/Friday, November 19th-20th

• Holiday Lights set-up – crews will be putting the finishing touches on this year's lighting dis-

plays starting at 10 a.m.

Tuesday, November 24th

• Opening Night –5 p.m. switch is flipped to illuminate this year's Holiday Lights in Park

Tuesday, December 1st

• Military Night - Active service men and women and Veterans receive free park admission with

Military ID

Tuesday, December 29th

• Winter Carnival Button Night - $5.00 off cost of a ticket purchased at the gate with a 2016 but-

ton.

Nov 25, Dec 3, Dec 15

• Minnesota Wild Nights – Fans that can present a Wild Ticket Stub from games on the above

days to receive half price admission on any night Holiday Lights is open.

Monday, December 21st

• St Paul Police Family Appreciation Night –free admission with ID

New Year’s Day – January 1, 2016

• Last Day of HLIP season 8 – Park closes

2015 Holiday Lights in the Park at a glance:

What: More than 60 holiday-themed light displays located on a driving path

When: From 5:00 to 10 p.m. nightly from November 24th to January 1st, 2016.

Where: Phalen Park, 1615 Phalen Drive East, in St. Paul

Who: Saint Paul Police Foundation, along with volunteers from the St. Paul Police Department and NECA.

Cost: $10 dollars per vehicle – cash only - at the park’s main gate. Discounted tickets for $8 can be purchased in advanced online by visiting http://www.saintpaulpolicefoundation.com/.

About Holiday Lights:

Holiday Lights in the Park is a venture of the Saint Paul Police Foundation with the purpose of creatinga fun and affordable holiday event that raises funds to help protect the men and women who protect theresidents of St. Paul. All of the net proceeds of the event will be distributed through the Saint Paul Police foundation to the St. Paul Police Department to provide enhanced safety and training to officers and help fund the department’s many volunteer organizations. Holiday Lights in the Park is open nightly from November 24th -January 1, 2016 at St. Paul’s Phalen Park. To purchase tickets you can visit our website: http://www.saintpaulpolicefoundation.com/, or for more information you can find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulpolicefoundation or follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StPaulPoliceFdn. An event like this couldn’t happen without the dedication of numerous volunteers, including the department’s Reserve Unit, Explorer Program, Historical Society, Band and the Mounted and Motors Units. Volunteers from the St Paul Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) the SPPD Reserves and Explorers and Police Officers will be on hand each night to make sure the event runs smoothly.