BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Organizers have pulled the plug on a long-time Brevard County Christmas tradition and another one is on life support.
The Melbourne Light Parade, which has attracted tens of thousands of spectators in the past, has faced financial woes for years from dwindling sponsorships despite its large draw. Organizers have until Dec. 1 to cancel and still need sponsors to meet the $10,000 shortfall, according to News 6 partner Florida Today.
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And the Space Coast Light Festival, cancelled this year, could come back in the future, organizers said, but still faces challenges.
As of now, the well-attended light parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 and will be at 1300 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd before heading south on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to Hibiscus Blvd. It turns right onto Hibiscus Blvd and heads west to Gateway Drive, ending there.
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Although many in Melbourne believe the light parade is organized and paid for by the city, that has never been the case. Karen Harshaw, a key organizer for the parade since its inception in 1993, said the costs of insurance, printing and other amenities have grown beyond what sponsorships are able to sustain. A grant from the city of Melbourne to offset some of the cost of the parade’s permit ended several years ago, making the parade’s undertaking even more difficult for a small nonprofit to stage.
“I have fought for the last 10 years to keep it going, but I just can’t seem to find very many kind hearts to help me fund this event,” Harshaw said.
“This year everything has gone up in price and the donations have dwindled away,” she added. “Maybe this is the final sign that the parade needs to end.”
The parade is a charity event designed to raise money for local organizations such as the Brevard County Pet Food Bank, Hands for Healing International and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Carrying out large events has grown more costly and logistically difficult for other organizers as well, prompting the Space Coast Light Festival to cancel its annual event, too.
“Due to reasons beyond our control, we have decided to cancel the light festival until further notice,” organizer Peter Moolhuizen said. “However, we remain optimistic and hopeful. The magic and wonder of the Light Festival is only being paused, not extinguished. We are dedicated to bringing back the festival in all its luminous glory as soon as it is feasible.”
The festival was held for many years at Wickham Park before the logistics became too difficult with Brevard County commissioners limiting the number of events eligible to be held at the park, Moolhuizen said.
Although the event was moved to Fred Poppe Park in Palm Bay last year to combat some of those issues, it will be cancelled altogether this year.
Moolhuizen, who also handles the Space Coast Renaissance Fair, will no longer be able to hold that event at Wickham Park after next year, which has already been scheduled.
Issues with electricity and the lack of a central location meant less attendance for the Christmas display in Palm Bay, he said.
The county’s decision in October to limit how long special events can run at Wickham Park made all the difference. Putting the light festival on pause will allow him to focus on figuring out a long-term plan.
“Considering these difficulties and the Brevard Renaissance Fair’s last year at Wickham, we decided to focus on our long-term goal, which is to acquire land to build a large venue site in Brevard County, which would include a light show,” he said. “We hope to bring the Light Festival back on site, developed explicitly for significant outdoor events.”
Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard and Brevard County government watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com
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