BUILDING BENTLEYVILLE: Volunteers needed to build new holiday light displays

DULUTH, MN. (KBJR) - “Bentleyville Tour of Lights” organizers are asking the public to help set up millions of lights for this year’s holiday light display.

Trucks full of bulbs and holiday-themed decor are lined up at Bayfront Festival Park.

Starting September 24, volunteers can help unload the festive decorations from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday, and Wednesday nights from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“It’s a big park and there’s a lot to do and it’s our first weekend and we need people every weekend,” Nathan Bentley, the Executive Director of Bentleyville Tour of Lights, said.

Although it’s just September in Duluth, Bentley’s eyes are fixed solely on the bright lights of Bentleyville, which is almost two decades in the running.

“This is our 19th year down having Bentleyville,” he said, “so we’re excited to be done with our teenage years.”

Bentley is in charge of making sure the events run smoothly. The festivities start November 19 and run until December 26.

“Bentleyville has over five million lights spread over Bayfront park,” he said.

In order to get those five million lights set up, it requires about 100 volunteers to unload 17 of massive semi-trucks.

“It can be a challenge to get as many volunteers as we truly need down there,” Bentley said.

Every weekend, volunteers are tasked with unloading everything from those trucks. It costs about $800,000 to put on the annual display.

As Bentleyville evolves, so do those displays. It will be the first time in 18 years that the grand entrance to the Tour of Lights won’t be the iconic castle.

“People will be walking through a new gingerbread entrance into a gigantic gingerbread house.”

If you are interested in volunteering or for more information on the Bentleyville Tour of Lights you can visit their website here.

Bentleyville first opened ay Bayfront in 2009.

Bentley held it in his own community near Cloquet and Esko before that.

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