OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - For 20 years the Holiday Nights n’ Lights lit up Ottumwa winters. People paid to drive through a light display from roughly Thanksgiving to Christmas.

But with rising costs, low attendance, and few volunteers the tradition made the heavy lift unsustainable.

Investor and Events Coordinator Cyan Bossou said valuable input from sponsors and the community was necessary for the change.

“It was making it very unmanageable for us to continue to move forward with that event. So, we went to our sponsors and some of our heavy supporters for the event. We told them the situation, and they all had that same perspective.”

The change brings the new WinterFest, a week-long holiday celebration scheduled for December 15 through December 21 at the JBS Sports Center. The indoor eve

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