Executive Director Cathleen Edgerly
Bringing Joy to Downtown this Fall
Two years ago, when we introduced the Big Red Ball Fundraising Gala, the goal was for the event to be a celebration of the meaningful momentum happening downtown. We also wanted it to be a way to raise funds for free community events, small business support, and downtown décor and beautification. So we started dreaming about how those funds could help enhance people’s love of Spooky Season downtown.
The growing love for Spooky Season was evident in downtown business weekend events celebrating the season, fall themed/painted storefronts, and Halloween merchandise in stores. We wanted to add something that complemented the great things our businesses and community members were already doing.
There were informal conversations and sidewalk brainstorming sessions with business owners and residents. Our Design & Public Spaces team threw out fun twists on the Big Red Ball theme. We talked about pumpkin drops instead of a New Year’s Eve ball drop. And for at least nine months of the year, we kept looking at an empty traffic circle platform that residents couldn’t quite agree on what should go there year-round.
That’s where the conversations with Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland began. We started talking about what seasonal items they might have beyond their Christmas-themed offerings. Could we collaborate on something seasonal for Michigan’s Downtown and the possibility of a traffic circle addition? In short, we were looking for something that would bring joy, lean into Lansing’s love of the Big Red Ornaments, and give people another reason to come downtown for something fun.
Then Bronner’s showed us a picture of giant jack-o-lanterns, along with light pole additions and other possibilities. And the work began to fundraise for Spooky Season.
And wow — are people having fun with downtown’s newest additions.
Families, professionals taking a break during the workday, residents coming downtown at night — they’re all taking photos and videos with the giant pumpkins. They’ve become a backdrop, a conversation starter, a destination, and, perhaps most importantly, they’re bringing a bit of joy in the middle of downtown.
Yes, we’ve seen and heard some of the comments about other things the money could be spent on. Those conversations are part of being a downtown organization, and we understand that public spaces can — and should — spark discussion about what our community needs and wants.
But the giant pumpkins (or, shall we say, Spooky Balls) have shown us something important, too: We all benefit when new additions to public spaces bring simple joy. When something unexpected attracts longtime customers as well as new visitors. When something fun gives families another reason to come downtown, take a photo, walk around, grab a bite, visit a business, and spend a little more time here.
Placemaking doesn’t always have to be complicated.
Sometimes, it can be giant jack-o-lanterns.
And sometimes, fundraising for downtown means investing in the little things that make people want to be here — the things that create memories, spark a smile, and give people another reason to love their downtown.
The pumpkins — and your continued photos and videos — make us smile, too. They’re one more joyful thing to love about our downtown community.
Happy Spooky Season, Lansing!
