The City of Owensboro’s Department of Parks & Recreation and Public Works would like to invite everyone to get in the holiday spirit by coming to Legion Park from November 21, 2018 through January 2, 2019 for our 32^nd annual Holiday in the Park. With more than 50 structures and over 200,000 bulbs, these lights are sure to fill you with joy as you walk through the park with family and friends viewing the dancing trees, toys, and Santa’s sleigh at no cost!       

 

Holiday in the Park began in 1986.  At the time, Parks Director, Cyndi Sturgeon and Facilities Manager, Bill Jackson, Facilities Manager at the time had a vision of Christmas Structures in the Park.  She and Bill gathered pictures of different wooden structures and created a catalog with the desired structures she wanted in the parks and went around to local businesses in Owensboro to get sponsorships for the different structures.  Cyndi met with Army Armstrong who built the structures after receiving sponsorship.  New structures were added each year.  The city provided the lights and the structures were sold to schools and companies to be placed in the park. 

 

In January 2000, a tornado swept through Owensboro causing severe damage to many of the structures in the park.  While some of the structures were salvaged, others were not.  This began the process of purchasing lighted displays to be placed around the park. 

 

When Holiday in the Park began it was strictly wooden structures sponsored by local businesses and also donated by schools in our area.  As time evolved the park has been updated to hold the remaining wooden structures from years past and each year lighted displays have been added.

 

We would like to give a special thanks to one of the many dedicated Public Works employees who help make Holiday in the Park a success.  Jonathon Cook, of our Grounds Division has been taking care of Holiday in the Park since 1988, 30 years!  He is retiring at the end of November after 30 years of service to our community.  We thank Jonathon, known to us as “Cookie” for his passion for making Holiday in the Park a great community experience!

 

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