LEDs make Courthouse Lighting bold and bright

• The Licking County Courthouse Lighting returns this year with all LED bulbs.
• Held this Friday, the event kicks off the holiday season in Newark.

NEWARK– Families who look forward to the annual Licking County Courthouse Lighting every year don't need to worry about downtown construction.

The entire courthouse square will be open and Santa Claus will be coming to town right on schedule, said county commissioner Tim Bubb, president of the Licking County Courthouse Lighting Committee.

The festivities kick off at 6 p.m. Friday with holiday music and a sing-a-long. Santa is expected to arrive just after 7 p.m.

Families who attend can enjoy hot chocolate and popcorn as well as a live nativity. They can meet Santa and share their Christmas wishes on the northeast corner of the square, Bubb said.

"We are going to have all our friends and traditional partners there" he said. "Elves in Action will kick off its annual food drive for the Food Pantry Network. The Salvation Army will be there with their red kettle. It's the official start of the season in Licking County."

This year's event marks the conclusion of a four-year effort to upgrade to the courthouse's decorations.

The committee has gradually been replacing its incandescent lights with LEDs and purchased the last of them this year, Bubb said.

"The most important thing is there will be richer colors. And the electric bill is about a one-third of what is usually is," he said. "We won’t use as much power but they are brighter and more colorful."

Crews working on the square are fully committed to having the entire downtown area open in time for the festivities, Bubb said. The 2nd Street parking garage will also be open.

"This event won’t be negatively impacted by the construction," he said.

Those who love taking pictures of the decorated courthouse should make sure to attend this year's event, Bubb said.

In July, the county will start a $4 million renovation project to install new windows, add a new elevator, tuck point the brickwork, fix the steps, clear a skylight and put a new roof on the building.

The northeast corner of the square  will be fenced off in early 2016 and the courthouse will likely have scaffolding around it until 2017 or 2018, Bubb said.

"This will probably be the last full-blown decoration of the courthouse and the grounds for a couple years," he said. "We'll still decorate what we can and have the courthouse lighting, but it won't be as much."

It might affect the holiday decorations for a few years, but it's important to preserve the courthouse to make sure future generations can celebrate Christmas there.

"Our courthouse is 140 years old, it’s time to fix some things," Bubb said. "We’ve got to take care of the old building."

If the weather is good, Bubb estimated between 5,000 and 7,000 people will be on the square on Friday.

"It should be a great night and should be quite a crowd," Bubb said. "It's a good night in downtown Newark."

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries 

IF YOU GO

What: Licking County Courthouse Lighting

When: 6 p.m. Friday. Santa arrives shortly after 7 p.m. 

Where: The Licking County Courthouse Square

Cost: Free and open to the public