It’s not even summer yet but some southwest Iowa civic leaders are already planning for Christmas. After many years and a massive renovation, a historical park in Council Bluffs will again be decked out for the holidays. Arlo Burk, spokesman for the Winterfest Lights Project, says Bayless Park will again be a tourist focal point in December.
Burk says: "The park itself has used a combination of very traditional things that have been in this park — the park started in 1859 — plus, adding a lot of contemporary so it’s a blend of tradition and contemporary design throughout." He says the park’s new fountain will be an eye-catching spectacle.
Burk says, "The centerpiece overall would be the fountain in the middle of Bayless Park. Nothing that we are doing is designed to take away from that." He says it’s been several years since the park has been open for the holiday season due construction of the fountain, which features many thousands of tiny gold and white lights.
He says, "The lighting in the center of the fountain area does have about 17-million combinations through the LED lights that are in there so everything will be drawing the eyes and drawing the people towards the center of the park highlighting the fountain itself but there will be things throughout the entire park." The historic park also includes the Mormon Train Monument, the Spanish-American War Veterans Monument, the Civil War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial.