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Rotary Gardens organizers hoping for big boost in a down year

JANESVILLE — When they flip the switch on their annual Holiday Light Show Dec. 17, Rotary Botanical Gardens officials are hoping to see big crowds.

“This is our most important fundraiser left this year,” said director of horticulture Mark Dwyer, who noted that the gardens had its worst year ever financially. “This is what gets us through the spring.”

This year’s show will be held from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 17 through Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 through Dec. 31. Admission is $5 for people 12 and older and $3 for children ages 2 to 11.

Recent attendance has been down significantly, with fewer than 3,000 people attending each of the last two years, Dwyer said. Poor weather on the event’s busiest days hasn’t helped.

“The success of this event is directly tied to the number of people that come in,” Dwyer said. “The combination of weather and some rain and cold temperatures affected it.”

Organizers would love to see 10,000 people turn out this year, but 5,000 to 8,000 is more realistic.

This year, the first 500 families who attend the show will receive a free pair of cardboard-type glasses called Holospex.

“What they do is they make every twinkle light an elongated star,” Dwyer said. “It’s a different look on the light show. It’s really neat.”

The event also features a colorful quilt display from the Rock Valley Quilter’s Guild, a model train exhibit from the Wisconsin Garden Railway Society and entertainment in the Parker Education Center, including visits from Santa.

Read the full story in the Dec. 5, 2010 e-edition of The Sunday Janesville Messenger, HERE.