East Troy Lights face storm setbacks ahead of opening night

East Troy Lights face storm setbacks ahead of opening night

Strong winds and heavy snow damaged key holiday light displays in East Troy ahead of opening night.

EAST TROY, Wis. - Recent winter weather is dimming the holiday glow in East Troy after strong winds and heavy snow damaged displays just days before Santa’s scheduled arrival.

Wind, snow damages displays

Local perspective:

Volunteers with East Troy Lights were ahead of schedule setting up when wind gusts upended major parts of the display last week.

"We turned around and all of a sudden, the tunnel was gone," said Jamie Rohrer, co-creator of East Troy Lights.

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High winds knocked over a popular light tunnel and nearly toppled an igloo installation, forcing crews to scramble to make repairs before another round of winter weather moved in.

"It was crazy, and just all the work, and you know, we say this light show is built on blood, sweat and tears, and this was like more tears than I ever spent on it," said Vanessa Lenz, executive director of the East Troy Chamber of Commerce.

Organizers at work

Dig deeper:

The community-run light show relies on volunteers, who rallied quickly to rebuild damaged structures before snowfall. Now, snow itself has created new challenges, covering power boxes, lighting elements and public gathering areas.

"There is a foot of snow on top of the band stand," Rohrer said.

Organizers are now working to clear space for visitors as thousands are expected downtown Saturday for opening night.

"We’re going to be doing a lot of shoveling I think," Lenz said. "We’re going to have to figure out how to clear this space for people."

Despite the setbacks, volunteers continue racing the clock to ensure the show goes on — with Santa still scheduled to make his appearance.

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"We are fighting against that clock to get all these lights in place, all the rest of our stuff up," Lenz said.

Rohrer said the effort reflects the spirit behind the display – and Mother Nature is still no match for holiday spirit.

"If you want to make the magic, it’s not always easy, but you can do it," he said.

Helping hands

What you can do:

Organizers are accepting donations to help replace damaged lights and equipment.