The Airdrie Festival of Lights has turned off the displays for another year but are hoping to clarify some confusion which might be in people's minds regarding admission following a new year's eve story on Discover Airdrie.  

In that story, titled "Airdrie Festival of Lights Ends Tonight," we indicated that admission to the festival was a donation of cash or non-perishable food item to the Airdrie Food Bank.  That information was incorrect so we went to the Coordinator of the Festival of Lights Michelle Pirzek to, hopefully, straighten things out.      

Pirzek says when the festival started 23 years ago, both they and the food bank were new to Airdrie and the festival did accept donations for the food bank to help them get established.  Since then both organizations have grown tremendously.  There are now many places to give donations to the food bank and the Festival of Lights no longer has the resources to store or collect the food.

Pirzek says, "We also found that for a time we were seeing our revenues decrease because we were receiving so much food, and the reality is, we just can't turn our lights on with food."

Pirzek says the costs of operating the festival each year borders on enormous. 

"Our overall operating budget sits between $100,000 to $120,000 each season, just to simply run.  Two years ago we got hit by the electrical upgrades which was a $50,000 hit, so half of our budget in one season.  We know that we still need to do improvements and upgrades within Nose Creek Park because the power that's in there is all owned by Airdrie Festival of Lights so we have to do some upgrades there as well and we're looking at about $200,000 for that.  This last year we purchased a whole bunch of new displays for the organization which amounted to just shy of $40,000.  It's not cheap to run the event but we think we do it effectively and efficiently and it's thanks to our sponsors and the visitors that make their donations when they come and visit."

The festival is a community-based organization and loves working with other local groups and non-profits to help them raise money.  Pirzek explains.

"We work with different local organizations that can fundraise through Airdrie Festival of Lights.  They volunteer their time and we pay them to be there.  So currently we have 15 groups that are signed up to fundraise for us this season.  There are things like our Great Airdrie Train Race where we pit fire and EMS against each other and they raise money for their local charity as well."

Pirzek says some of the community projects they've helped this year include the Tim Jackson Memorial Scholarship Fund, Airdrie and District Victim's Assistance, the Airdrie 100 Women Who Care, the Lioness Food Bank program and Community Links.  When a donation is made to the Festival of Lights, a portion of it goes to maintenance and upkeep of the displays but the festival partners with many local groups to give back to the community.  

Pirzek doesn't have a final estimate of visitors for the festival for 2018.  She's been too busy tearing down the display.  "We have to be out of Nose Creek Park by January 15th which is next weekend.  It comes down a lot faster than it goes up but we've still been down there all week to get things taken down and put away properly.  That's our focus this weekend and we're asking anyone who can volunteer this weekend, we could sure use the extra hands as we put it all away."

Once that chore has been done, Pirzek says planning will start next week for the 2019 Festival of Lights which she promises will be bigger and better than ever. 

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