Old B Square

Canopy of Lights kicks off 2024 holiday season

On Friday night, the 2024 edition of Monroe County’s Canopy of Lights drew mostly from its traditional playbook, starting with warmup music from the Bloomington Brass Band.

The band was set up on a Kirkwood Avenue mobile stage, in front of Fountain Square, facing the historic Monroe County courthouse.

Emcee Jim Inman took the mic around 7 p.m. to introduce the elves from Windfall Dancers, whose routine this year was performed to the Leroy Anderson classic “Sleigh Ride.”

Next up to give some brief remarks were the three Monroe County county commissioners—Julie Thomas, Penny Githens, and Lee Jones. Following the commissioners was IU Health Bloomington, Home Care and Hospice volunteer coordinator Tia Farley, who thanked people for their donations through the Light up a Life program.

Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson, sworn into office in January, was making her first appearance at the event.

She told the crowd, “As you treasure the time with your families, let’s keep in mind all of the people who are not warm tonight, who may be hungry and may need our help, and let’s make these holidays warmer and more filling for all of them.”

Thomson then called an audible of sorts, departing from tradition, by handing off the mic with this introduction: “I believe we have a very special guest following me who’s made our city pretty phenomenal this year.”

The special guest was Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti, who has led the Cream and Crimson to a 10–1 record so far. The team is expected to run its record to 11 wins against Purdue University in Saturday’s home game, the final contest of the season.

Cignetti did not fumble for words, when he started the crowd off with a chant: “Go IU on 3! 1-2-3 GO IU! GO IU! …”

Go IU on 3!

Next up were Dorothy and some munchkins from Constellation Stage & Screen’s production of “Wizard of Oz” who gave a preview of the show, which starts its run on Dec. 12.

Inman then led the crowd in the three songs that form the traditional runup to the appearance of Santa Claus—”Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer”, and “Here Comes Santa Claus”.

By the end of the final song, the man in the red suit had appeared on the stage.

Santa led the crowd in the traditional countdown from 10. Again this year, the dark strands of lights that stretch from the historic county courthouse to the surrounding buildings on the square, lit up exactly on cue.