In an online post, Washoe Lake State Park announced that it will not be able to hold its annual drive-through holiday lights display this year.Â
The park says the light display started in 2020 during the pandemic and they never imagined it would grow or become so popular among the community.Â
They say the decision was a difficult one. Still, the amount of time and staffing to cover the event kept growing, with preparations for displays beginning in late September of the year to design and paint structures and signs for the 24 campsites.Â
Explaining that its staff had to construct multiple tunnels, string several thousand feet of lights in an area that does not always have electricity, and that they had to rely on staff from four other Washoe State Park employees and community volunteers to help set up the event and provide traffic control for each night of the event.Â
The park thanked the community for all the support over the last four years and said that although they will not be holding the event this year they are actively looking for a non-profit group to take over next year's event in the hope that the valley can once again bring back the tradition.Â
(Washoe Lake State Park contributed to this story.)
