Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Sponsors and community support are being sought for a big event that takes over downtown Pinckney every holiday season.

Light Up the Park is set for Saturday, November 28th in the Town Square, and around the downtown area. It’s an annual event that takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which also marks Small Business Saturday.

This marks the 5th year of the popular event that continues to grow, having started back in 2022.

The event features Santa and the lighting of the park along with tons of activities; character visits from the Grinch, Rapunzel, and the Winter Queen at local businesses; an indoor Christmas Kringle Market at the People’s Church; and much more.

Committee member Regina Hamlett told WHMI they’ve expanded over the past few years and now have close to around 2,000 visitors who attend throughout the day and night, and people look forward to it every year. However, community support is needed now to help make it happen.

Hamlett said they’re trying to keep the event free, but it is an expensive venture. Thus, there are a number of donation and sponsorship opportunities – including business Christmas tree and activity sponsorships. The latter are for different aspects of the event like the horse and carriage rides, an art tent, hot cocoa station, carolers, and cookie crawl etc.

In addition to the professional lights around the park, there are 100 live Christmas trees that line sidewalks that businesses can purchase and decorate. Hamlett noted they really stive to promote the downtown businesses as much as possible, and also get people out shopping and dining, and learning about Pinckney.

It’s an all-volunteer committee that meets year-round to put on the event and Hamlett said they’re happy to do it but could just use some community support. She noted they are a community committee and not one organization but several from around town that just want to make sure the tradition continues.

Hamlett said “We have a heart to serve our community and make sure people have a joyful Christmas - no matter what’s going on in their life - and so that’s our goal, to make sure our community is able to have a Merry Christmas”.

In addition to sponsors and donors, some volunteers are also needed for the night of the event.

Links to more information are provided, and the sponsorship packet is attached.