Dec. 31 was the official end date for the first Boothbay Festival of Lights, but when organizers and participants met for a wrap-up party-business meeting at the Opera House Wednesday evening, Jan. 4, it was clear that the afterglow from the event’s success was going to last for a long time.

The conception of the Festival of Lights rode in on the coattails of the 2015 Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens inaugural Gardens Aglow event. The event drew 36,000 visitors and CMBG projected twice that number for 2016. The Boothbay region business community wasted no time in trying to find a way to become a part of the Gardens Aglow phenomenon.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce and the Boothbay Region Joint Economic Development Committee went into action.  They secured a grant from the Maine Office of Tourism and enlisted enthusiastic and committed support from area businesses.  Stefa Normantas of Green Tree Events Consultants was hired to launch an eight-month marketing effort, and from that point the dream of a Festival of Lights began to snowball into reality.

In the late fall, ladder trucks and volunteers from fire and public works departments went into action stringing lights at the Boothbay Common, Memorial Library lawn and downtown storefronts. Residential lighting displays began appearing on the Route 27 corridor from Edgecomb to the center of town. There was a steady stream of coverage from local network television stations, BRCTV, and print and social media outlets. Shuttle stations were set up, shuttle drivers were enlisted, businesses extended their hours and a steady stream of holiday music filled the downtown area.

All told, 74,583 visitors came from around the country to attend the 2016 Gardens Aglow, far surpassing the CMBG’s projection of 50,000. A significant percentage of those visitors were drawn by the Festival of Lights to explore the other businesses and cultural offerings on the peninsula. The downtown area, largely shut down after the leaf-peeping season, was vibrant with lighting displays and holiday music and visitors who shopped, dined and participated in cultural events. Many visitors extended their stays and booked nights in area lodging.

The Festival of Lights signature events included CMBG’s Gardens Aglow, The Railway Village’s North Pole Express, The Opera House’s Gingerbread Spectacular and Dough Ball, the BHR Chamber of Commerce Harbor Lights Festival and the Lighted Boat Parade. CMBG also sponsored a lighting contest that drew 50 participants vying for bragging rights and a grand prize of $2,500 and 15 tickets to Gardens Aglow.

“It takes a village,” said Abbe Levin of the Joint Economic Development Committee. She said the Festival of Lights was a true collaborative community effort that was well-conceived, well-planned, marketed aggressively and well-executed; the festival far exceeded expectations for a first-year effort, ensuring that it will become an annual event that will fulfill its goal of boosting the region’s economy during the challenging shoulder season for years to come, Levin said.

CMBG Marketing Director Kris Folsom summed it up this way: “It’s unbelievable how people are talking about our community. It gives me chills.” 

Stay in the glow and in the know by liking the Boothbay Festival of Lights Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/boothbaylights/?fref=ts.