New Bedford’s Clasky Park: When the Christmas Lights Will Be Lit

He's making his list and checking it twice.

Jamie Ponte, Director of the New Bedford Department of Public Infrastructure, has already begun preparations for decorating the Clasky Common Park for the Christmas season.

The Festival of Lights, which began in December 1952, ran each holiday season for two decades but was discontinued in 1973 when vandals destroyed much of the display of wooden houses, animated figures, and thousands of Christmas lights, and the City of New Bedford lacked funds to replace it all.

The tradition was revived in 1985 when the public and private sectors worked to raise money for a somewhat scaled-back Festival of Lights. The festival has been celebrated every year since drawing kids of all ages to the park after sunset.

"We've been going through all the city decorations for a little while now," Ponte said. "The kids from Voc (Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School) have been working on the lights since about the 14th (of October), and the house and fencing are scheduled for about two weeks from now."

Ponte said it takes a while to dress the park for the Festival of Lights.

"I'd say a good month or so. Depending on the resources we can make available," he said.

The Voc-Tech students assist DPI in decorating Clasky Park but it still takes more work.

All of the other decorations on the light poles, etc, takes a few weeks," Ponte said.

We recently reported Ponte is busy hunting down an official Christmas tree that will be placed on the front steps of the downtown library.

As for the official lighting ceremonies, Ponte said weather permitting the tree lighting is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, and the lighting of Clasky Park the following night, Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Cross your fingers for a little bit of light snow that weekend.