Moses Lake lights up

MOSES LAKE — Brady Wiltbank already started to decorate his house — and yard, and trees — when the Light Up Moses Lake contest was announced.

“I would have done all this right here if there was no contest,” Wiltbank, showing off his brightly lit house and lawn, complete with music and an animated display beamed onto his garage door.

Wiltbank, a father of six and a second-grade teacher at Park Orchard Elementary School, said he rented a lift in October to string lights around the two tallest trees in the northwest corner of his house at 4211 Lakeshore Drive, down toward the tip of the peninsula, and spent three full days — Veterans Day, and the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving — to set up the massive display that covers his house and yard.

“On the house and the fence and the trees out here, there are about 3,800 lights, not counting all the yard decorations,” he said. “It’s a lot of lights, but it’s cool.”

Wiltbank’s home was one of 14 residences, 10 businesses and 12 “floats” entered in the Light Up Moses Lake contest, organized this year as an alternative to the annual Ag Parade. Light Up Moses Lake also included a food and toy drive, and served as a fundraiser for local groups.

While the parade, which celebrates harvest and the beginning of winter, normally makes its way through downtown, this year, residents were invited to decorate their homes, and a number of floats were parked at the Grant County Fairgrounds on Friday evening.

People were given a map for a kind of “reverse parade,” to visit the homes, businesses and the floats.

“I’m just happy because I like driving around looking at Christmas lights,” Wiltbank said. “And now I’m just happy people have a map and are not wasting time driving around looking for lights.”

“I think this year we needed a little bit more spirit, more emphasis on making the holidays more festive,” said Bruce Bailey, owner of Roost Lifestyle & Design Collective in downtown Moses Lake.

Inside his cafe, Bailey has put up a giant tree and decked it out in silver, gold and white. Outside, he wrapped the tree in front of his store in red lights — as opposed to the typical bright white — and hung flickering little anemone-like light fixtures from the awnings in front.

And even though no one can sit inside and eat, Bailey said he’s going to finish decorating inside.

“I’m still going to get the garland up, you know, get it festive looking in here, get some spirit of the season going,” he said. “It’s all about attention here.”

Cherity Mengelos, owner and operator of the Moses Lake Shed Company LLC, decked out a number of the sheds on her lot in lights, and even put up her personal Christmas tree in one of them.

“I wanted to do something to be part of the community,” she said. “I love Christmas, I do. It’s been a long time since I’ve decorated, with all the COVID-19 stuff. I want to have some happiness in my own personal life and share it with others.”

While no one gathered in Sinkiuse Square to watch the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, people were taking donations of clothes, food and gifts for foster care families, Habitat for Humanity Festival of Trees, and the Moses Lake Food Bank, as well as serving hot chocolate and hot apple cider.

“It’s a little cold, but we’re making the best work out of it,” said Kaden Brimhall, one of five missionaries with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Arizona, who helped out Friday night.

“We’re just bringing the cars in, getting them to stop, asking them what they have to donate, and then take their donations and send them on their way,” said Connor Christiansen, a church missionary from Utah.

And those people likely would see Wiltbank’s and other homes.

As he stands in his driveway, Wiltbank said even he sometimes has to admire his house.

“It’s the happiness, and I come out here sometimes and I just ... ,” he trailed off. “And the fog tonight makes them look really cool.

As Wiltbank described how he added a little bit more to his yard display every year — the trees on the southwest corner of his lot, currently bare, would get lights next year — he was joined by his 8-year-old daughter Brinly.

“This is my one kid who loves to help,” he said.

“It’s fun, and it’s my favorite season,” Brinly said.

Voting for the best in decorated home, business and float will continue through 5 p.m. Wednesday at www.lightupmoseslake.com.

Sponsors of “Light Up Moses Lake” include the Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Moses Lake Association, city of Moses Lake, Grant County Health District, Grant County Fairgrounds and KDRM. Donations will in turn be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake, Community Services of Moses Lake (the Moses Lake Food Bank) and Community & Family Services Foundation, which supports children in foster care.

Early totals for donations, sponsors and contest entries showed almost $9,000, not including food and toys. Habitat for Humanity will receive money from entry fees, as well as about $2,500. The food bank will get $2,500 and food, and foster care will receive $2,500 and toys.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/lightupmoseslake.