Josh Johnson is a park operations manager with the City of Sioux Falls and has worked with the city for 16 years. He sat down with Sioux Falls Simplified to talk about all of the behind-the-scenes of the annual Falls Park Winter Wonderland display that lights up this weekend.
Answers are edited for length and clarity. Responses are all quotes from Johnson.
Tell me a little about what goes into the annual Winter Wonderland display.
The team at Falls Park, our operations staff, maintenance team – they kind of have creative freedom in learning what displays will fit within our means and what we're capable of hosting.
- They create a lot of different displays they may have seen (or gotten the idea) from somewhere else. They have that freedom to do it.
Do you guys reuse a lot of decor? How do you decide what goes where?
The majority of our displays are reused every year. We did retire a few items this year and create a few different displays we're excited about.
We've been fortunate to tour some other cities and see displays and kinda borrow some ideas. We also determine that stuff based on our facility's capacity, too – that weighs heavily on a lot of the placement.
How far in advance does planning start for Winter Wonderland?
That work typically starts in June or July, and, in fairness, it kind of runs all year. It's a constant, continuous improvement. They're always looking to innovate and use our resources as best we can for the community.
How long does it take to decorate the park?
It takes about six to eight weeks.
We typically start at the beginning of October. The trees take a significant portion of that time.
How many people put all this together?
It typically takes anywhere from eight to 12 people who work about six to eight weeks on it. It's not necessarily always the same people – it's a rotation of different skillsets and things that are needed.
What kind of equipment is needed?
We use some of our forestry equipment, some of our boom trucks, different things. We do rent some lift vehicles/aerial lifts to get around the visitors center tower.
What's the hardest part of decorating or the unseen work that goes on?
The planning and the care that the team at Falls – those guys and gals – the commitment they have to it, the pride they have in it, it means a lot.
- They're really proud of seeing it all come together.
Is there anything new folks should watch for this year?
There's a neat little tunnel along near the visitors center that's pretty cool. There are some spheres on some different signs that kind of highlight the new brand.
There's also some blooming spikes near the Overlook Cafe – essentially PVC pipe with lights coming out of the ground in different patterns. It's our team being creative.
Anything else folks should know?
The lights will be on from 5 p.m. to midnight starting Nov. 22 through Jan. 5.
