Volunteers are needed every Saturday in October and November to help decorate Hodag Park for December’s Lights of the Northwoods.
Organizers are asking volunteers to arrive at 9 a.m. for the morning shift or noon for the afternoon shift. Meet at the Little League building inside Hodag Park on Hodag Park Drive in Rhinelander.
“Your help brings the holiday display to life while supporting an event that collects food and raises funds for local food pantries and nonprofit organizations,” organizers said in a press release.
Lights of the Northwoods is a local, volunteer-led nonprofit organization that transforms Hodag Park on Boom Lake in Rhinelander into a holiday destination each December. Visitors can walk or drive through the free display, enjoying illuminated trees, animated and musical scenes, and reflections along the shoreline.
The event brings people together around a shared purpose: celebrating the season while helping others. Visitors are encouraged to contribute nonperishable food and monetary donations that support area food pantries and participating nonprofit organizations. Food pantry partners have included those serving Rhinelander, Elcho, and Tomahawk. Community support also helps maintain the displays and sustain the annual event.
The work begins long before the lights come on. Volunteers work throughout the year to build and repair displays, test lights, organize supplies, and plan the park’s transformation. Fall preparation brings that work outdoors—moving equipment from storage, installing displays, stringing lights, decorating trees, and setting up the electrical connections that bring everything to life. Volunteers also support operations during the event and help take down and store the displays afterward.
Local businesses, service clubs, churches, youth groups, and individual volunteers all contribute to this community effort. Some bring technical or construction skills; others help with decorating, organizing, and moving supplies. Together, their contributions create a holiday tradition that builds community pride, welcomes visitors, and supports organizations serving the Northwoods.
For information, call 715-602-0326 or visit lightsofthenorthwoods.org.
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