Cedars, December 2018

December 2018 10 OFF CAMPUS by Breanna Beers C hristmas break is just around the corner, and these Ohio displays are pulling out all the stops. In the midst of cramming for finals and packing for home, these extravagant exhibitions might be worth a weekend study break. Historic Clifton Mill | $10 Just a few miles down the road from Cedarville University, the Historic Clifton Mill’s annual Christmas display consistent- ly ranks on national lists as one of the most spectacular in the country. Every hour on the hour from 6-9 p.m., all four million lights shut off, leaving the property in hushed darkness as visitors look around, wondering what’s going on. Then, Christmas music begins to play, and lights around the covered bridge come on, twin- kling in time with the music and setting off a dazzling show across the property. The tradition started in 1987, with just 100,000 lights strung around the Mill, and has now grown into a phenomenon that has gained national attention. However, according to Historic Clifton Mill’s general manager Jessica Noes, the real joy of the tradition has been not the show’s broad reach, but the deep impact it has on visi- tors. “You can see when they come in if they’ve not had that great of a year,” said Noes, “and then you see this sense of hap- piness that comes over people, this joy, because the ambiance of everything is so unique. It’s a special tradition. People used to come as kids, and now they’re bringing their kids.” Maintaining the display takes the staff nine months out of the year: three months to plan the exhibition, three months to string the lights, and another three months to take it all down to protect the lights from weath- ering. The Mill is also home to a collection of over 3,000 antique Santa figurines and a sprawling miniature village laid out in as- tonishing detail, including a drive-in movie theater, a police scene, and the Ohio State University stadium. Columbus Commons and the Scioto Mile | FREE Each year, Columbus decks the city square with over 400,000 multicolored lights strung from trees, lining buildings, and adorning fences. On Friday evenings, live music adds an additional festive flair. Columbus Downtown Development Corpo- ration Events Manager Nicholas Stefanik described the sight as “overwhelming.” “I like to park in the underground ga- rage, and then when you come up into the park, you go up this glass staircase and so you’re immediately overwhelmed with lights,” Stefanik said. “You walk out right into the center of the park in front of the big Christmas tree.” According to Stefanik, the magic of the Commons is that it’s both a draw for those living outside Columbus to come explore the city and a perk for those already living or commuting there. “I love that it’s something that gets people to come downtown and feel happy during what’s usually a pretty bleak sea- son,” said Stefanik. “Especially since it’s usually dark by the time people leave work, but instead they get to come walk through Merry and Bright The top five Christmas displays that light up Ohio Photo courtesy of Light Up Middletown Visitors can drive through over 90 animated and still Christmas displays synchronized to a local radio station in Middletown, Ohio.