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KUSA - This year's 9NEWS Lights the Lights is on Friday, Nov. 23.
It all happens at the City and County Building on 14th Street and
Bannock Street from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., where 6,000 holiday lights
transform Denver's historic building into a spectacular holiday
display. Hosting the celebration are 9NEWS Anchors Kyle Dyer and
Gregg Moss along with 9NEWS Entertainment Reporter Kirk Montgomery.
The night marks the official start of the holiday season with a
crowd countdown to turning on the lights.
Old St. Nick will be there for photo opportunities. Children can
sit on Santa's lap while their parents take pictures.
The 9NEWS Parade of Lights float will also be on display.
This year the stage show begins at 6 p.m. with performances by Rocky
Mountain Children's Chior, Dotsero, Jake Schroder (from Opie Gone
Bad), Nelson Rangell, Lenard Barrett, and the Salvation Army Band.
At 6:30 p.m. the live televised portion of the night begins with
more music and celebration.
Free candles will be passed out to the first 3,000 people and they
will be lit just before Colorado Rockies Manager Clint Hurdle 'flips
the switch' with his family.
If you cannot experience the festivities in person, you can watch
a live broadcast of the lighting ceremony on 9NEWS starting
at 6:30 p.m. hosted by 9NEWS Anchors Mark Koebrich and Kim Christiansen.
| Entertainment: |
| Rocky
Mountain Children's Choir: The Rocky Mountain Children's
Choir actively seeks children from diverse backgrounds and offers
the opportunity to experience musical excellence in a multicultural
environment. Through the universal language of music, its singers
develop relationships that enrich their lives while benefiting
their families and communities. Established in 1995, the RMCC
unites children of greater Denver's diverse communities through
rigorous ensemble music instruction. More than 1000 children
have participated in RMCC programs and performed in over 100
concerts in the past five years. Currently, the Choir is composed
of approximately 270 girls and boys, ages six to 18, in seven
progressive choirs. The choir you will hear tonight, the "Fourteeners"
is one of the most select performing ensembles at the RMCC and
is comprised of 22 young women who come from all over the Metro
Denver area. Artistic Director, Leslie Britton, has been with
the Rocky Mountain Children's Choir since its inception, and
is responsible for developing and implementing the choir's unique
mission that partners musical excellence with commitments to
multiculturalism, diversity, and outreach. |
| Nelson
Rangel: Jazziz magazine writes that Nelson Rangell is
"an artist of depth, a master of song, and an improviser
non pareil." The Times of London notes "his extraordinary
facility on a range of instruments and his undoubted virtuosity,"
adding that Nelson is "one of fusion's most accomplished
exponents." Such praise is a confirmation of what contemporary
jazz fans have known since the Denver based saxophonist emerged
in the late 80s: that Rangell is one of the most exciting and
diverse performers in the genre, equally adept at soprano, alto,
and tenor saxophone, as well as being a genuine virtuoso on
flute and piccolo. |
| Dotsero:
Taking their name from a small mountain town in the Rocky Mountains
of Colorado, DOTSERO means "Something Unique" according
to Ute Native American legend to some. It means DOT-ZERO on
the earliest geographical railroad maps to others, but to jazz
fans worldwide DOTSERO means Smooth Jazz at its best, full of
life energy and spontaneity that few artists in the genre have
been able to match. |
| Leonard Barrett Jr.: He recently completed his fourth
season working with PHAMALy in Urinetown. Previous appearances
include Guys & Dolls (Westword Award for Best Crossover
Actor, Denver Post Ovation Award), The Wiz, Our Town, and Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This year (2007) he was
awarded Best Season by an Actor by Westword. Leonard has recently
released his second vocal CD with jazz keyboardist Ken Myers,
called "Mellow: Session II." |
| Jake Schroder: One of the Rocky Mountain region's most
durable and influential bands, Opie Gone Bad has been showing
people a good time for more than ten years. Jake Schroeder's
husky baritone fronts an eclectic band that blends guitar driven
rock with a powerhouse funk rhythm section. The band has toured
nationally many times, consistently plays to packed venues,
and has released three albums. |
| Salvation Army
Band: Nearly 33 million Americans receive assistance
from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array
of social services that range from providing food for the hungry,
relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach
to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless
and opportunities for underprivileged children. Salvation Army
volunteers will also hand out free hot chocolate and cookies. |
Donate to help Light the Lights
It costs thousands of dollars to set up, maintain and keep
the display lit for the entire holiday season. If you would
like to help keep the lighting tradition going, we ask that
you make a donation to the 9NEWS Lights the Lights Fund. Checks
can be mailed to 9NEWS Lights the Lights, 9NEWS, 500 Speer
Blvd., Denver, CO 80203
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History of Denver City and County Building Holiday Lights
In 1914, 10-year-old David Jonathan Sturgeon lay dying, afflicted with an incurable disease.
From his bedroom, young David was unable to enjoy his family's Christmas tree.
So, he called to his father, electrician David D. Sturgeon, and begged him to light the evergreen tree outside his window so he, too, could share in the holiday season.
His father then dipped plain light bulbs in colored paint and strung them on the tree.
People came from miles around to drive slowly past the Sturgeon home, marveling at the tree.
While it is impossible to say exactly when and where the
first outdoor tree was lit, proud Denverites believe it started
in the Mile High City with David and his father.
In fact, in 1945 NBC broadcast a tribute to Denver and the Sturgeon family for originating this beautiful tradition.
Denver's first holiday lighting display illuminated the sky in the late 1920s when electrician John Malpeide asked the city if he could put up a lighted tree in Civic Center Park. He was given $50 for the task.
The Civic Center Park display grew more and more intricate, at times incorporating live animals and storybook figures.
In 1935, floodlights lighted the City and County Building for the first time. As the lighting on the City and County grew more elaborate, decorations in Civic Center Park decreased until an electrical fire brought an end to the park display.
The City and County Building holiday lights, which numbered
only a few hundred in the beginning, soon grew to more than
30,000 as each year the public waited in anticipation for
the turning on of the lights and the official start of Denver's
holiday season.
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