Anderson Township seeks artists and creators for new holiday light event at Anderson Center

Anderson Township is looking for artists, community groups and creative residents to help build a brand-new holiday celebration this winter.

The township announced a call for participants for Nights of Township Lights, a month-long event at Anderson Center, 7850 Five Mile Road. The displays will be staged around the lake and on the plaza, with a kickoff date of Saturday, Dec. 5, when the center will host entertainment alongside the installations.

Participants are invited to build or provide interactive sculptural displays focused on lighting and interaction. Installations should carry an overall sense of the holiday season and can reflect how creators celebrate, through food, festivities or family events, the township said in its July 16 announcement.

Proposals are due Tuesday, Sept. 1. Acceptance notices will go out by Thursday, Sept. 17.

Sarah Donovan, assistant director of the Anderson Township Planning and Zoning Department, is the point of contact for questions and submissions. She can be reached at 513-688-8400 or [email protected].

How the idea took shape

The concept first surfaced at the Feb. 12 Board of Trustees meeting, when Assistant Township Administrator for Operations Steve Sievers pitched what he then called a Holiday Light Festival. "The event would be passive and would allow residents to enjoy the third-place aspect of Anderson Center during the Holiday Season, with community-made, stationary displays," Sievers told trustees at that meeting.

The push for new community gatherings gained urgency after the Anderson Park District announced in January it was ending Anderson Day. At the Jan. 22 trustee meeting, Trustee Tom Hodges said he would work to ensure opportunities to build community remain available year-round.

Anderson Center's south plaza has been getting upgrades, including new seating, shade structures,and decorative lighting, as part of the township's Comprehensive Plan goal of creating "Third Places," spaces outside home or work where residents connect and spend time together, the township said in its April 2025 newsletter.