It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Christmas is still more than a month away, but the Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Department has spent months wrapping city trees with lights. This is in preparation for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event this Saturday.

When all those beautiful lights turn on, it is important to remember the hands that made it all possible.

"It's a pretty big process, a lot bigger than I think a lot of people in town might might feel or might know," Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation director P.J. Holm said. "We've got 291 street lights downtown that we wrap for the holidays and they all have wreaths on them as well. We've got more than 150,000 lights that go down into the Japanese Garden here in Idaho Falls and along the river."

To achieve a festive look by Christmas, teams have to begin wrapping thousand of lights around city trees beginning as early as September. 

Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Josh Stephens has worked with grounds crews this season to facilitate this massive undertaking. 

He say the Japanese Friendship Gardens has some of the most scenic lights the city has to offer.

"Here at the Japanese Friendship Gardens, we estimate we have about 42,000 lights, which is about 600 strands. That's including the walking bridge. The bridge going over to the other side with the 15 foot wreath and then the big tree behind me. We estimate we have about 5,600 lights on that tree alone."

The Christmas Tree Lighting will be this Saturday at 6 p.m.

The event is thanks to a collaboration between Parks and Rec and the Downtown Development Corporation.

The city will also be hosting its first ever holiday UTV light parade along the Snake River Dec. 22. 

The parade will leave the Mountain America Center at 7 p.m., go all around the River Walk and circle back to the event center.