Indulge me for a minute. Close your eyes and picture the following. You are standing in the middle of a crowded street. You are greeting friends and neighbors as they pass by. The local school band is playing nearby. Suddenly, fireworks begin to fill the sky.

 

Can you visualize the scene?

 

For many people, they can see it very clearly. I am sure many picture a warm, beautiful Fourth of July evening celebrating the birth of our nation. However, if you live in or near Bridgeport, you may have conjured up an entirely different vision. Light Up Night.

 

Bridgeport’s annual celebration of the start of the Christmas holiday season is a scene worthy of being the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting. Or maybe it embodies themessage of the iconic Christmas song “Silver Bells” by Jay Livingston and Ryan Evans. Due to copyright issues, I can’t quote the lyrics here. Feel free to sing the lyrics to yourself or look them up if you are unfamiliar. No matter the reference, Light Up Night remains one of the most important and memorable nights of the year for many in our community. I know it is for me.

 

Sponsored by the Associated Businesses of Bridgeport with the cooperation of the City of Bridgeport since 2005, the event brings thousands of people each year to downtown Bridgeport for a nostalgic evening of friends, food, music, and entertainment. There is a sense of joy, family, and fellowship that brings our community even closer together than we already are. It is also a time to welcome new residents and visitors to our town and let them experience what it means to be a part of our Bridgeport family.

 

Community members and visitors meander the festively lighted and decorated streets to enjoy performances from multiple vocalists, choirs, bands, and entertainment groups. The Bridgeport Police Department ladles out cups of their famous non- alcoholic Christmas wassail. Season-themed characters stroll throughout the event, having their pictures taken with children and adults alike. Local shops and businesses set up dozens of booths and hand out delicious treats and souvenirs to eager attendees. When they were younger, my four children delighted in inspecting each tent for cookies, candy, hot chocolate, or a holiday trinket.

 

The City of Bridgeport employees staff one of the most popular giveaway stops along the festival route, the Bridgeport Fire Department. The smell of their freshly cooked doughnuts always draws a big crowd. I recommend getting there early, as the line can get rather long. But it is well worth the wait. My son Jacob works as the Associate Engineer for the City of Bridgeport. He has now gone from doughnut recipient as a child to one of the doughnut chefs as an adult.

 

Each year is an exciting experience with some new and creative additions. Whether it is a live nativity, a snow-making machine, or another new attraction, I am always surprised. I am sure this year will be no exception, and I am eager to see what the night might bring.

 

Perhaps more important than that, you can always count on seeing so many of your friends, family, and neighbors. Even those who have moved away from Bridgeport will often return to the city for Light Up Night. It has become a holiday homecoming of sorts. Every year, I run into people I haven't seen for years. It is so good to catch up and see how their lives have turned out, meet their children, or talk about the good old days.

 

Year after year, the Light Up Night festivities culminate in a Christmas trifecta of mandatory holiday moments. The appearance of Santa and Mrs. Claus, the countdown and lighting of the Benedum Civic Center Christmas Tree, and a massive fireworks display. These annual hallmarks of the event put an exclamation point on the evening's festivities as a crowd of thousands join together along Main Street.

 

To see the smiles of joy on people's faces as they greet one another is heartwarming. I enjoy it almost as much as I do watching the children's faces as they quickly move from booth to booth to gather their treasures. As my children did. Or when they encounter one of their holiday heroes and get their picture taken with them. Or their awe-filled gaze as the Benedum Civic Center Christmas Tree is lit and the sky explodes in a dazzling array of multicolored fireworks serving as a brilliant backdrop to the entire scene. There is nothing so magical as the wonderment in the eyes of a child.

 

It all brings back so many memories of when my children were young. Many of you can relate, I am sure. I plan to add to those memories with my grandson at future Light Up Nights. As well as with any grandchildren with whom I may eventually be blessed. It is a tradition I hope my family and yours will continue to enjoy for many more years. If you have never been to Light Up Night in Bridgeport, make this the year to attend. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Why Bridgeport? Light Up Night in Bridgeport is about family, friends, and community. The businesses, the city, and the other groups and individuals who participate are not in it for financial gain. Their primary goal is to give back to the community. To make us laugh and smile. To bring us all closer together. To jumpstart our holiday spirit and remind us that family, friends, and community are priceless.

 

Can you hear it? I can. Bing Crosby is already breaking into a verse of “Silver Bells.”
 

Editor's Note: Photos by Joe LaRocca.