Alaska State Fair’s Bright up the Night holiday display exceeding expectations with over 300 vehicles visiting each evening

PALMER— The Alaska State Fair created an all new holiday series called Bright Up the Night, a drive-thru of light display on the fairgrounds.

The series is outperforming original expectations with an average of 315 vehicles pulling through per evening, according to ASF general manager Jerome Hertel.

“It’s been going very well actually, better than we expected,” Hertel said. “That’s a lot of people. That’s why we’re encouraged.”

The event has been a hit since it opened to the public, according to Hertel. He said they almost sold out the first day, and that trend has continued ever since.

“It was very well received,” Hertel said. “I think it’s been a great opportunity for people to take part in a safe event with their kids.”

Hertel said the Fair partnered with North Pole Productions, who manufactures the displays down in Missouri. He said they sent staff members up here to install the displays, taking about a week to set up.

According to Hertel, Bright up the Night is likely to become a new annual tradition on the grounds. He said they’ll probably save some of the favorite displays and add new ones to keep it fresh. He noted that if they keep the series going, they’ll also try to add more interactive components like photo opportunities with Santa Claus.

“I think we’ll build on it,” Hertel said. “This year I think it’s more important to be safe.”

Hertel said they’ve received a fair amount of positive feedback from the community, mostly through social media mentions.

“Most everyone loves the display... We’ve had several people come back more than once,” Hertel said.

Once Bright up the Night concludes, fair officials will evaluate how everything went and determine if it’s feasible to bring back next year. Hertel noted that it’s hard to say how much of this event’s popularity stems from the lack of public activities due to the pandemic, but he’s feeling positive about the series’ ability to stand on its own merits.

“I feel confident we’ll be bringing it back because we’ve had such a good response to it,” Hertel said. “It can become a tradition for families this time of year. We have all kinds of events like that.”

The holiday displays contain several flickering sets that imply movement, ranging from Santa Claus in a helicopter to green aliens waving to passing vehicles with the iconic red hats on their oblong heads.

“I never get sick of driving through it,” Hertel said with a laugh.

According to Hertel, Bright up the Night is just one of many examples of the Fair’s continuous efforts to find alternative ways to safely “survive” the pandemic and retain their connection to the surrounding community. He said there’s a lot of excitement stirring across the grounds as they prepare for the next season to open in August.

“We are excited about putting on a big Fair next year,” Hertel said. “I think people are gonna be relieved we’re having a normal Fair.”

Bright up the Night runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 13, Thursday through Sunday, then every day of the week from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2. Hours are from 4 to 9 p.m. For tickets and more information, see alaskastatefair.org/site/bright-up-the-night.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com