MONROE – The Evergreen State Fairgrounds are darker this season than they have been in years.
The Evergreen Christmas Fair and Light Festival, a holiday season staple for many since 1998, will not go on this year.
Normally, the fairgrounds would be lit up with more than a million lights. There would be horse-drawn carriage rides, craft and gift displays and other entertainment.
But this year, the holiday event’s organizer said he was unable to iron out a few issues with fairgrounds officials.
“I don’t want to blame anybody,” said Renato Lubrin, owner of Sky Valley Productions, the company that sponsors the event. “We just didn’t meet half way.”
Lubrin said it was not solely about time, money, equipment or manpower. He declined to give the specific “unresolved issues.”
Fairground manager Mark Campbell said the holiday program just didn’t happen – for “no specific, individual reason.”
“They just made a decision not to do it this year,” Campbell said. “We didn’t communicate well this year, but I think there are other reasons that this didn’t go on.”
He declined to speculate what those reasons might be.
“Sky Valley never got specific about types of things they were looking for to make this happen; it just seems like it didn’t happen,” Campbell said.
In an e-mail response to a Snohomish resident who was concerned about the dark fairgrounds, Campbell said money and labor were two concerns.
“The decision to not put up the lights this year was Sky Valley’s and primarily based on the costs involved and the tremendous work it took to place them throughout the grounds,” Campbell wrote. “The fairgrounds was not in a position to take this over or subsidize those costs.”
The fairgrounds maintain a good relationship with Lubrin, Campbell said. Lubrin often rents fairgrounds buildings for weekend swap meets.
Fairgrounds spokeswoman Elizabeth Grant said staff heard from many people about how depressing the fairgrounds are this year.
“I feel their pain, I really do,” Grant said. “It really was very pretty.”
Grant said there are people who never stopped for the event, but would enjoy the lights while driving by on U.S. 2. Fairgrounds employees also are bummed.
“It has created a void,” she said. “I guess we have to rely on one another for Christmas cheer.”
Kevin and Jennifer Erickson live up the hill from the fairgrounds, and frequently visited the festival.
They were planning to take their son for his first time this year.
“It was great for people who enjoy doing family things for Christmas,” Jennifer Erickson said.
“We really looked forward to seeing it. We were a little disappointed. Hopefully, if they get enough phone calls, they’ll do it again next year.”
Creating the holiday light and craft festival was no small feat – it took Lubrin and a crew of workers about two weeks to put the lights up, and another week to take them down.
Lubrin brought in platform lifts to put the twinkling holiday lights and signs in high places. Lubrin said he has a barn full of lights and decorations that will not be used this year.
Fairgrounds officials and Lubrin seemed to disagree on one thing: the utility bill. Lubrin estimated the bill – about nine days’ worth of lights running five hours a day – at $400. Campbell and other fairground officials estimated the bill would be more like $1,686.
It also cost Lubrin about $5,000 to rent 30 to 40 acres of the fairgrounds.
Sky Valley Productions normally charged about $3 for admission, but gave discounts for canned food donations. Lubrin said after he paid bills, that all profits went to local causes.
But Thursday, neither party would point to what exactly kept the show from going on.
“Maybe if we can resolve some issues, we can put (the holiday display) up next year,” Lubrin said. “I like to put it up. That’s why I’ve been putting it up all these years.”
Campbell agreed, and said because of the wide community response, fairgrounds officials will look to continue portions of the popular display.
“We’re all going to take a breath and put our heads together and make sure this happens for next year.”
Reporter Jennifer Warnick:
425-339-3429 or
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