Light show comes to Seward

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What was once a dark park near the Seward County Fairgrounds now features 400,000 lights as part of Nebraska’s Largest Christmas Light Show.

The show has brought a steady flow of traffic to the park since Black Friday.

Show owner and creator Vinny Bittinger originally established the show in Malcolm where he and his family live. Two years ago, he started looking at different locations to expand the show.

“We had meetings and pitches from Omaha, Lincoln, a park in Ashland, and Seward,” he said. “One thing that was the icing on the cake for us was the people of Seward. So many people have dropped what they were doing to come help us.”

He ultimately chose to build the project in Seward because of the people, he said.

“People like Megan Kahler at the Chamber, all the great guys at the city electric department, road crew guys, police officers. So many people in this town stepped up to help us be successful,” he said. “Everywhere we turn, people like Pat Coldiron at Liberty House are offering to help us in any way they can. We could not have done this without them, and they are a wonderful example of the good people of Seward.”

Bittinger said it is to their credit that the family hopes to keep Seward as the home to Nebraska’s Largest Christmas Light Show in the future, and he is already looking at what’s next.

“We are nowhere near done,” he said.

Bittinger, who works full time as an electrician nine months out of the year, said the show is a family operation, which includes his wife, parents and inlaws.

“Everyone helps. Everyone plays a role,” he said.

The show includes around 400,000 lights that Bittinger and his family have synchronized to music. The attraction comes at an ideal team as people continue to attend drive-through events because of COVID-19.

“I think people have been thankful to have something they can do,” he said. “Things have been taken away from the kids this year.”

Bittinger said people don’t always understand that they are coming to see a show instead of just a display of lights. Each light has a computer chip.

“All of our lights are synchronized to music. They are all programed, and they are controlled by a computer,” he said. “Every light on this property is controlled by a computer.”

The show is automated from his computer in a small building in the center of the park. At the push of a key, the lights, music and movement entertain the families driving through the park circle.

“This show gave something back to the kids. And that kid might be 40 years old with three kids of his own,” Bittinger said. “This stuff awakens the kid inside of you.”

Bittinger plans to build onto the show each year and is hoping to double it in size by next year.

“We’re already Nebraska’s Largest Christmas light show, but we don’t even plan to slow down,” he said.

He and his family have built all of the pieces on display, and that is a priority to him.

“I would rather spend countless hours with my father in the shop building and designing something than worrying about making a bunch of money,” he said. “Every thing you see out here is custom built by us.”

The show has also gained statewide attention. Bittinger said on Saturday night alone, vehicles from 43 different counties visited. He said the proceeds from the per vehicle admission fee will go toward building and improving the show in the future.

Kahler, membership director at the Seward County Chamber & Development Partnership, said she met Bittinger in 2018 when SCCDP was needing to replace the lights and garland for the light poles in downtown Seward.

“He told me of his dream for a Christmas light show and asked if I knew of a place in Seward County,” Kahler said.

She said she had the perfect spot and took him to the park.

“We have had a light display in Seward before, many years ago, and people remember that,” Kahler said. “At SCCDP, we get calls every holiday season about the old Christmas light display, so we knew it would be welcomed in the community.”

The show continues through New Year’s Eve. For more information, visit magicallightsofseward.com/?fbclid=IwAR1N3RqYs7EKAWd0B3y06fgMOl3WIAf-oK04Hpkm4WjAqscd3Ez-1xsLHSw or The Magical Lights of Seward Facebook page.