Light Up Lakewood Festival - A Winter Extravaganza

On a blustery, cold January night, Lakewood is blanketed by winter snow. Inside the Root Café, delicacies and hot drinks provided more than just warmth. The café provided the perfect atmosphere for the kick-off committee meeting for this year’s Light Up Lakewood. What began that night has led to the amazingly awesome, new and improved Light Up Lakewood Festival 2011. A night that is sure to attract more notable praise upon our beloved town. 

For starters, we have the first ever, only-one-in-the-region, winter parade – complete with our very own Light Up Lakewood King and Queen. Leading the parade is the winter Iditarod dog sled team, driving in the winter season. Parade watchers will see all sorts of fun elves and holiday characters, marching presents, decked-out vehicles (and maybe even a snow plow), and of course, Santa himself. Kids will receive a glow stick to help us truly light up Lakewood! March with Santa back to the Lakewood Hospital to see the Trash Talkers perform at 5:30 p.m. You don’t want to miss the lighting ceremony scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and to top it all off, our booming lighting extravaganza!

This year, we’ve expanded the fun street attractions for teens and tweens, all sponsored by the Coral Company. Bring your hockey stick to play street hockey in the Einstein’s parking lot. The games will be organized and run by the Lakewood High School hockey team and are sure to provide you with hours of fun!

Look out for the OMG Mobile Video Gaming Theater in the parade and then parked on the street in front of the Bailey Building. OMG provides over 100 video games to choose from with up to 20 kids at a time – inside the climate controlled truck! It will also feature dance video games on the outside of the Theater for our more energetic festival goers, and maybe an overgrown Elf. Play our more traditional carnival games as well!

Providing entertainment and fun for the more vocal crowd, check out the Panera Stage for holiday karaoke led by Kidd Productions. Pacers, Panera and Mad Mouth Gyros are ready to warm your tummies with great food while you wait your turn for the microphone, joystick or hockey stick.

The center of the downtown region will be jam-packed, featuring new and old attractions for all. Stop by the Five Guys Stage to grab a burger and listen to The Ohio City Singers sing original holiday favorites, rock-n-roll style, including the band’s twist on the classics – you have to hear them sing the “Grinch!” He’s a mean one you know! Well not our Grinch anyway.    

Turn around from there to find a LUL favorite – the ice carver – as he dazzles us with yet another cold and festive creation. On the Chipotle porch is our most creative new addition – Elf Yourself Photo Shoot. Grab your friends and family, don your elf ears and hat and pose with an oversized ornament and present for a fun holiday photograph in front of a spectacular set created by ErieDesign. We might even draw out some of the folks having a “mulling” good time at Rozi’s annual wine tasting event. Don’t forget to satisfy your cravings with funnel cakes and toasted nuts from the street vendor parked nearby.

Light Up Lakewood would not be the same without stopping in to the Masonic Temple to see and hear our young ones as they fill us with holiday cheer. As you wind your way west along Detroit, stop to chat with vendors from some of our area business. They are sure to have great holiday deals for you to grab!

Not to be outdone, the Lakewood Library is host to fantastic fun for the younger crowd and families. Of course, Santa is the main indoor attraction along with H2O’s “Twigbee-Style” shop, story time, holiday crafts and activities. To lighten your heart, there will again be holiday music by various Lakewood groups. This year, stop to watch your favorite reindeer movie projected onto the front wall of the Library as you feast on kettle corn and Izzy’s StrEat gourmet treats.

Just outside the Library you’ll find the Iditarod dog sled team that will lead off our winter parade. Visit them for plenty of hugs and to find out just how and why they love to pull the sleds. Who knows, you may even find a friend to take home with you!

Before the festival, Lakewood Hospital will host the crowning ceremony for the LUL King and Queen. The indoor events there start at 1:00 p.m. and also include a hot cocoa bar in the cafeteria, music from the Chris Vance Jazz Ensemble and the Lakewood Baptist Church choirs. For our youngest crowd who may need to see Santa earlier in the day, Panera is hosting Photos With Santa from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., where you’ll have a chance to win bagels and bread for a year – it’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year!

Needless to say, the initial small group that met in January has grown to a huge number of enthusiastic volunteers. We truly hope you have a wonderful time at the festival, and no matter where at the festival you are at 6:00 p.m., keep your eyes skyward for the LIGHTING EXTRAVAGANZA sponsored by our newest addition to the downtown business scene - the University of Akron!

You don’t want to miss it!