Elaborate gingerbread creations, countless festive trees and light displays providing community joy can only mean one thing: it is the holiday season. As the calendar flips from November to December, communities throughout Indiana Michigan Power’s (I&M) service area are celebrating with favored traditions.
A large holiday display takes time, extra hands and potentially a fleet of bucket trucks – especially when there are one million lights to hang. A team of 25-plus I&M and AEP transmission volunteers helped set up the drive-thru light display at Muncie’s Suzanne Greshman Center. With just one day to accomplish weeks’ worth of work, the team brought to life this popular display, which is open to the community, free of charge.
Since 1986, the Fort Wayne History Center’s annual Festival of Gingerbread has become a holiday favorite. To provide an opportunity to view the 140-plus creations, the AEP Foundation has once again sponsored a free admission night for the community on December 3 starting at 5 pm.
Fort Wayne’s Embassy Theater turns into a holiday wonderland for its 40th annual Festival of Trees event November 27 through December 4. Featured among the trees, one specially decorated for the YWCA of Northeast Indiana from the AEP Foundation and I&M.
With the flip of a switch, downtown Fort Wayne is ready for the holidays. As tens of thousands of attendees looked on, the annual Downtown Improvement District’s Night of Lights event on November 27 did not disappoint. Stop by the I&M plaza through the end of December to see the glow from the large holiday wreath.
The Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend is giving guests a gift like no other – the Gift of Lights, open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 22. Visitors can create new holiday traditions in a wonderland of lights and seasonal activities – all efficiently powered by I&M. Ride the rain, see Santa and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Visit our community page for more information on how I&M is supporting our local communities from Rockport, Ind. to Bridgman, Mich. and how staff are making a difference through volunteering.