No town does Christmas lights like downtown Indianapolis. Indianapolis has been hosting the Circle of Lights for sixty years. This trademark event offers a wide range of things to experience, including multiple displays of Christmas lights and carriage rides for all to see.
The Circle of Lights was first strung on December 2, 1962. Interestingly enough, the local event was featured on the front page of the newspaper, sharing it with the bombing of the Berlin Wall. The article bragged that the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which is two hundred and eighty-four feet tall, became “the world’s largest Christmas tree” that year. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument Christmas tree was known as a symbol of peace and comradery for all who gazed upon it.
When the tree is fully finished, it stands at two hundred and forty-six feet tall, with a
diameter of one hundred and ten feet. Fifty-two strings of 6,000 multi-colored lights hung from the top of the monument. It has a total weight of three thousand two hundred and twenty pounds. Organizers estimated the display can be seen from twenty miles away. To complement the giant center tree, eight normal Christmas trees are lining the Monument Circle’s exterior walkway.
Along with the monument tree, the Applied Energy Services building does a window light show every year. One of the displays they did this year was the American flag. This tradition started even before the monument tree, in 1954. Originally, the lights were red and green to celebrate Christmas. Maintenance people had to hand change each light bulb. It took eight hours per worker to put colored glass filters on each light to create the pictures. LED lights were eventually installed in 2008. Additionally, as an alternative to walking around Monument Circle, multiple carriages offer services to ride around the circle.
Monument Circle provides a variety of fun things to do. From carriage rides to Christmas trees to festive lights, there is something for everyone. This tradition in Indianapolis is truly a sight to see.
