Rhinelander will once again shine bright this holiday season as the Lights of the Northwoods returns.
The entirely volunteer-run light display at Hodag Park starts December 1st.
Wisconsin Public Service linemen came out last week to help get the lights on the tall trees in the park.
Harnessed into the bucket of his truck, WPS journeyman lineman Todd Seubert takes a string of lights of a pole and hooks them into a tree along the shores of Boom Lake at Hodag Park.
This is his 5th year helping set up the Lights of the Northwoods display.
“We look forward to it every year, as a work group coming down and helping the community out, hang the lights the community,” said Seubert. “All the kids in the area and people in Rhinelander seem to like it. It's a little break from our normal work to come down and help out.”
He was one of the seven linemen taking the time out of their workday to help set up the display.
It’s help that’s much appreciated by Mike Romportl. He’s a member of the Lights of the Northwoods and has been volunteering with the group since it first started in 2017.
“One of the biggest helps that we had that first year was Wisconsin Public Service came to our aid because we didn't know how we were going to get the lights up in the trees,” said Romportl.
Back in 2017, people in the Rhinelander community started talking about the city having a major light display.
They reached out to the Rhinelander Lion’s Club, of which Romportl is also a member of, for help getting it started.
“The first year that we had this, we were floored by the response that we had,” said Romportl. “We were only doing it on the weekends, three weekends, I believe we had it, and they were lined up in their cars all the way down to Trig’s parking lot from Hodag Park that first year. We never guessed that would bring out that kind of a response.”
Now its own organization, the Lights of the Northwoods has grown every year. Though it still runs entirely on donations and volunteers.
Instead of three weekends, the display is open to cars and pedestrians every night from December 1st through January 1st.
The number of lights and different displays grows each year with more than a million bulbs glowing across Hodag Park.
There three weekends of activities including bonfires, concessions, and visits from Santa.
And the Lights of the Northwoods go out with a bang on News Years Day with a fireworks display that started in 2021.
“It was only supposed to be for one year, but with the overwhelming response, we got to that they wanted it back. We've been having fireworks every year,” said Romportl.
Between the Lights of the Northwoods at Hodag Park and the displays at Pioneer Park, downtown, Rondele Ranch’s display west of town, Romportl says people that come to the area can make a weekend of it.
“Rhinelander is truly a destination site for the lights,” he said.
The Lights of the Northwoods are free to visit. Though they do encourage donations and not just for light display.
Money is raised for local non-profits and thousands of pounds of food is collected for the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry.
“We get buy in from the community, which they take possession of that. It is something that the community can be really proud of,” said Romportl.
It certainly makes Seubert proud, knowing he’s helping created something that so many in the community look forward to each year.
“It's a good feeling, obviously. Like I said, it’s a break from your normal work and to be able to help the community in whatever way we can, we look forward to doing that kind of stuff,” said Seubert. “All the guys, I think, enjoy coming down here and giving a hand. I mean getting to work with all these volunteers that come out every year to help is awesome. A lot of people in the community take part in this, and that's what it's about.”
The Lights of the Northwoods is open from 5:00 to 9:00 nightly starting December 1st.
