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Downtown Christmas lights may get more power

Donna Gray
Post Independent Staff

If a handful of downtown business owners have their way ” and the money ” Glenwood Springs could be even more of a winter wonderland this year. Led by Confetti Design owner Sue Sharpe, the Downtown Business Association is raising money to buy more Christmas lights.

What started the move was a little-known benefit of the Grand Avenue paving project. According to Sharpe, during the project, crews ran electric lines to each tree along the roadway from the Grand Avenue bridge to 12th Street.

“Before they were limited to how much they could put in,” Sharpe said.



The city has contributed $25,000 out of the general improvement district fund. And DBA wants to add to it.

With a modest amount of money the lighting on Grand could be taken up a notch.



“We’re hoping, especially since we started at such a late date, to get $12,000 more,” Sharpe said.

Last year the city decorated the corners of the side streets crossing Grand Avenue with red and white lights, Sharpe said. Centennial Park was decorated with red, green and white lights.

“We want to add more lights between Sixth and the entrance to town at the Amoco and Village Inn, and from Sixth to Grand,” as well as lights on the bridge, Sharpe said. More lights would be “so (much) more festive and brighter looking.”

Dave Armbruster with the Bank of Colorado kicked off the campaign with a donation of $500. The DBA hopes the community will step up and give.

Sharpe said the group is looking for corporate sponsors as well as “families to give in the name of a loved one for the holidays.”

Anyone who has enjoyed Glenwood’s Christmas lights is asked to give. But not only are the Christmas decorations for those of us who live here, they are also “for visitors who will go away feeling good about the community,” Sharpe said.

DBA has another reason for enhancing the Christmas lighting downtown this year.

“We’ve got Meadows coming in. It will probably be illuminated, and we want to make sure that historic downtown is recognized as the heart of Glenwood,” she said.

The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association is also involved in the campaign. Chamber CEO Marianne Virgili said her office is making a flier that will be distributed downtown. In addition, the chamber is hosting a business expo on Friday and will make a pitch for donations at that time.

“We’re also e-blasting the members,” Virgili added.

She’s excited about plans for the Christmas lights.

“They want to add more lights to every tree. It will be darling,” she said.


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