PHOTO COURTESY OF FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS COMMITTEE
This year, for the first time in 14 years, there will be no Festival of Lights at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds.
The Festival of Lights Committee announced this week that it is canceling the annual winter event due to a lack of volunteers and an inability to secure a non-profit designation. Committee member Karen Hutchinson-Talaski said the committee was told by the fairgrounds that it needed to have a 501 c3 designation before it can sign a contract to rent the fairgrounds this year. The committee began the filing process in February or March, but has yet to receive word that they have been accepted.
“We lost momentum,” Talaski said. She expects the committee to have its 501 c3 designation in time for next year and said the committee will begin planning for next year’s Festival of Lights as early as January.
But the non-profit designation wasn’t the only thing hampering the committee’s efforts this year. A lack of volunteers is also a big factor in the decision to cancel this year’s event.
“We’re all sort of burned out,” said Talaski. “You cannot believe the number of people you need to put this on.” Talaski said the committee, which consists of just four people, has sent out requests for volunteers throughout the year, but have received little response from the community – until now.
“As soon as we announced we were canceling the event because of a lack of volunteers, people started coming out of the woodwork.” Talaski said it takes as many as 50-75 people each season to put on the festival.
The Umatilla County Fairgrounds ran the festival for the first 11 years. The volunteer committee has put it on for the past two years.
Talaski said the decision to cancel the event was a difficult one for the committee.
“It’s a major disappointment,” she said. “This is not a decision we made lightly. To me, this is the highlight of the Christmas season. My husband and I have gone every year.”
Talaski said committee will be recruiting volunteers for the 2014 Festival of Lights. It will also be seeking grants to help offset the costs, which include renting the entire fairgrounds and paying for the electricity.
“And once we get our 501 c3 designation, we’ll be in a much better position to put this on,” she said.
