The annual Circle of Lights celebration in downtown Indianapolis turned 60 in 2022. Here is a look at its history.
For 60 years, hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers have gathered at Indianapolis' spiritual center to celebrate the holidays with a jaw-dropping light display.
An estimated 10,000 people gathered in the cold, with traffic jams of several hours. Indiana Gov. Matthew E. Welsh sent Richard W. Guthrie, speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, on his behalf. Massive toy soldiers and sailors soon became regulars on the Circle. The businesses surrounding the display, and how they were decorated, regularly change, but the Monument remains the celebration's constant.
In 2019, Downtown Indy Inc. received a $7 million grant from the Lilly Endowment that allowed for professional lighting and audio equipment be installed for year-round use on the Circle, Downtown Indy Inc. Vice President Bob Schultz explained. In 2020, the lights were turned on, but Hoosiers were encouraged not to visit the area due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A TV special made up of pre-recorded performances replaced regular live programming.Of course, Monument Circle has been the center of Indianapolis' Christmas celebrations for more than a century.
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