Electricians brave frigid cold to install thousands of lights for beloved holiday display

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — How many electricians does it take to install 4,784 Christmas lights? Nearly 200.

A group of volunteers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) braved frigid temperatures Saturday morning to install the iconic “Circle of Lights” display in downtown Indianapolis.

The retired electrical workers spent hours transforming Monument Circle into the annual holiday spectacle. Passersby watched, delighted, as they strung garlands of multicolored LED lights around the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and lowered fake reindeer into place on the steps of the memorial.

Steve Menser, a decades-long member of IBEW, said he and his colleagues took pride in spreading holiday cheer each year by volunteering for the Circle of Lights installation.

“We know it brings joy to many people,” he said.

One electrician in the group had been involved in creating the beloved display for 41 consecutive years, according to Jacqueline Eckhardt, a representative for non-profit Downtown Indy, Inc.

The local tradition – now in its 56th year – has garnered national acclaim and attracted tourists from around the world.

Travelocity included the display in their top five “must-see Christmas trees” in the nation; USA Today named it one of the “10 Best Holiday Attractions.”

The lighting ceremony this year is scheduled for 6 p.m. the day after Thanksgiving — Friday, November 23. More than 100,000 spectators are expected to gather downtown for the event.

The lights will remain lit through early January.