You might think we've heard it all at the Petaluma Visitor Center. It is true we do get some unusual questions and unique comments about this Northern California town. Every time we think we've heard it all, however, somebody comes up with something new or with a comment that calls for a little introspection. That happened this year with regard to the annual City of Lights Driving Tour.
There's more about this event on the Visitor Center website at http://www.visitpetaluma.com/. The Visitor Center has organized and produced it for more than 10 years, but this year a caller asked how we could possibly endorse such exuberance given the state of the economy, the effects of a driving tour on the planet and the ostentatious waste of energy the decorating contest seems to encourage.
Okay, the caller didn't use exactly those words, but that was the point of the message.
There's more about this event on the Visitor Center website at http://www.visitpetaluma.com/. The Visitor Center has organized and produced it for more than 10 years, but this year a caller asked how we could possibly endorse such exuberance given the state of the economy, the effects of a driving tour on the planet and the ostentatious waste of energy the decorating contest seems to encourage.
Okay, the caller didn't use exactly those words, but that was the point of the message.
Since I am the Grinch in the office, and maybe a little more objective about all the holiday hoop-de-la, I thought it fell to me to address the caller's valid concerns. It started me thinking.
I have to say thanks to the caller for helping me see the irony of a Grinch like me as one of the people who devotes a lot of time and energy to helping the Visitor Center stage the tableau of holiday events, crowned by the City of Lights Driving Tour, that take place every year in Petaluma.
No matter how jaded I think I am, it never fails to cheer me up to see all the twinkle and shine on the streets of Petaluma. I feel better when I see Petaluma aglow with the traditional beacons of hope and home...twinkling lights. I guess you could say the City of Lights Driving Tour is my candle in the window.
I take heart when I remember how many people participate in the City of Lights Driving Tour simply for the fun of making others happy. Every year, in good times and bad, the residents and merchants willingly take part in this burst of good cheer. The decorating contest judges are volunteers. The merchants donate prizes for the residential decorations. I've been told by so many participants that it is a labor of love offered as an expression of the desire to share happiness.
To me, the rewards for everyone, visitors and participants, from City of Lights Driving Tour far outweigh the annual cost.
I know Petaluma to be a green community - passionate about recycling, conservation, open space preservation, waste reduction and so much more. All year long, there is a concerted effort here to appreciate, preserve and enhance the environment and the planet. It seems to me that kind of commitment can afford to be a little extreme during the holidays, especially when the effort is freely shared to make so many people happy.
Certainly Petaluma isn't the only town that goes all out on holiday decorations and lights. Check out http://lightsofthevalley.com/ and you will see what I mean. Still, the fact that lots of other places do it necessarily make it right. I do not think It is a question of right or wrong.
In my opinion, Petaluma does it best because it is more of a community effort than an individual one.
Maybe now is the time to start thinking about better ways to display the holiday spirit, but for the here and now, Petaluma is decked out in holiday lights and it is a sight for sore hearts, tired eyes, and saggy spirits.
So, here's an invitation from the Grinch, put the light back into your life for a few hours. Take a City of Lights Driving Tour in Petaluma and enjoy!
Certainly Petaluma isn't the only town that goes all out on holiday decorations and lights. Check out http://lightsofthevalley.com/ and you will see what I mean. Still, the fact that lots of other places do it necessarily make it right. I do not think It is a question of right or wrong.
In my opinion, Petaluma does it best because it is more of a community effort than an individual one.
Maybe now is the time to start thinking about better ways to display the holiday spirit, but for the here and now, Petaluma is decked out in holiday lights and it is a sight for sore hearts, tired eyes, and saggy spirits.
So, here's an invitation from the Grinch, put the light back into your life for a few hours. Take a City of Lights Driving Tour in Petaluma and enjoy!
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