RICHLAND, Wash.–Winter Wonderland in Richland is bringing bright lights to the city for the rest of the month, but is still doing so safely due to John Dam Plaza’s structure.
The fun of Winter Wonderland comes with a lot of electrical usage because of the parade and all of the Christmas-themed lights at the Plaza, but Zach Gould, Richland Fire Department Captain, said the Plaza and its amphitheater were built for electrical output lights and designed for events just like this one.
“Thankfully, with the advancement of LED lights there, they take a lot less power or voltage wattage,” Gould said. “The electrical draw for a lot of the lighting and stuff down there is reduced because of how good LED technology has become.”
Julie Piper, City of Richland recreation manager, said the city plans for the event a year in advance, but starts setting up the lights in October to make sure everything runs smoothly before completing the set up at the end of November.
“Our parks guys, they do a really great job of distributing the power evenly. They work closely with electricians on staff, and city staff, making sure that circuits aren’t overloaded, making sure things are waterproof and making sure all the correct elements that we use are correct for the outdoor elements for the winter,” Piper said.
The light show will run from 5–9 p.m. every night until the New Year, with over 30 songs programmed and a different playlist each night.
