January News from the Spirit of Springfield

Celebrating Springfield's Biggest, Best and Brightest!

Thank you to everyone who made 2022 a very special year for the Spirit of Springfield.

Everyone was eager to get back together and celebrate Springfield’s spirit. The community was generous with their donations, sponsorships, and their time to support our efforts to bring the community together in celebration.

We live in a very special community, and it is people like you that make it special to me, and all of us at the Spirit of Springfield.

We wish you a healthy and happy new year!

-- Judy Matt

President

Bright Nights Wraps Up 28th Season

The 28th season of Bright Nights at Forest Park is literally wrapping up. The Spirit of Springfield’s partners at the Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management are rolling hundreds of extension cords, miles of roadway lighting, and putting away the displays for safe keeping.

Before the lights started to come down, Bright Nights at Forest Park had a successful season. There was another sold-out road race. The Military and Emergency First Responders Night had record-breaking attendance. New lights were added to Santa’s Magical Forest. Thousands of new memories were made, and some made new holiday traditions with their first visit through the more than 675,000 lights.

Thank you to the sponsors. Thank you to the team of workers who installed and maintained the lights, greeted visitors, operated the carousel, and worked in the gift shop. Thank you to M. J. Norton Security, Springfield Department of Public Works, Springfield Police Officers, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, for security and traffic control.

Bright Nights at Forest Park will be back for its 29th season starting on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Love Letter from the Spirit of Springfield

The 2022 City of Bright Nights Ball was all about “love.” Thousands of red roses and their fragrance filled the Aria Ballroom at MGM Springfield. Every guest went home with a booklet of love letters courtesy of American Medical Response. It even included one from the Spirit of Springfield Board of Directors written by Spirit of Springfield Board Chair, John Sjoberg. Missy Teebo from Chris Teebo Films took the words and the voices of the board to produce the letter into a video.

Watch the video to learn more about the Spirit of Springfield’s love for Springfield.

Love Letter from Spirit of Springfield 2022

Look Back at 2022

The Spirit of Springfield had a great year in 2022. Events were well-attended. The World’s Largest Pancake, sponsored by MGM Springfield, had an enthusiastic crowd that ate piles of pancakes. The Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic had golfers eager to tee off and support the Spirit of Springfield. The fireworks on July 4th, sponsored by MassMutual, burst with more brilliant colors. Springfield’s September 11th Remembrance Ceremony was, as always, a moving tribute to the men and women who lost their lives saving and protecting others on September 11, 2001.

In October, the Spirit of Springfield welcomed The President’s Own U. S. Marine Band to Springfield Symphony Hall. The hall was full thanks to the generous support of Eastman – Indian Orchard. The City of Bright Nights Ball, sponsored by American Medical Response, had to turn away people who wanted to purchase tickets. The room was overflowing with love.

In December, the Spirit of Springfield brought more music to Springfield Symphony Hall with the traditional holiday concert by the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. The performance was sponsored by Mercy Medical Center.

Bright Nights at Forest Park glowed even brighter with new displays funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. There were three popular $10 Tuesdays and three sold out Suppers with Santa’s. More holiday memories were made.

The Spirit of Springfield also unofficially “adopted” a family in the Ukraine. Through fundraising efforts and the sales of Bright Nights at Forest Park children’s book illustrated by Max Stasiuk, we have sent them thousands of dollars to help support them and their extended family during these difficult times in the Ukraine.

The Spirit of Springfield has more instore for 2023!

Bright Nights is Best in the Nest

Local realtor Erica Swallow and a team from Drone Home Video put together a three-minute video production about Bright Nights at Forest Park. It features an interview with Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt and some vivid video including beautiful drone footage.

During her interview, Judy gives the details of how Bright Nights began in 1995, and how it continues to thrive welcoming millions of visitors in its long history of making memories for visitors from near and far.

Watch the video.

Bright Nights at Forest Park: Brighten Your Holidays in Springfield, MA

U. S. Air Force Band Concert

The U. S. Air Force Band from Washington, D.C. will be performing a free concert on Sunday, March 26th at 3pm in Springfield Symphony Hall.

Mark your calendars and watch for me details!

In this Issue

Bright Nights Wraps Up 28th Season

Love Letter from the Spirit of Springfield

Look Back at 2022

Bright Nights is

Best in the Nest

U. S. Air Force

Band Concert

Guest Column

Mayor Domenic Sarno

Guest Column

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

City of Springfield

First off, I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

As we kickoff 2023, I want to take a moment to share with you the confidence and hope that the new year brings along with some good news from many of the positive initiatives and projects happening in our Springfield.

We continue to defeat this COVID-19 pandemic, thanks in large part to our elegant and eloquent Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris and her dedicated team and all of our community partners who work hard every day to keep us all healthy and informed. The vaccine and booster shots are now readily available and I am confident that if we remain strong and steadfast, and be respectful of someone’s decision if they wish to continue to wear a mask for their own health, we can become stronger and healthier.

My administration continues to move forward on the many economic development projects and initiatives to help keep our local economy healthy. We continue to provide as much relief and assistance possible for our residents and business community without mortgaging our future and hindering our city’s sound and stable financial health. Since taking office as Mayor, we have the highest bond rating in the city’s history, invested over $750 million in building new schools and renovating schools, and seen over $4 billion in public and private development and investment into our local economy. All this leads to a good four-letter word – JOBS! We have invested in our neighborhoods through parks, libraries, housing and senior center development projects. While also continuing to advance public safety initiatives too.

I want to thank my dedicated staff and all of our city workers, from cabinet heads to our rank and file, who day in and day out have kept our city of Springfield going strong. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the great and heartwarming efforts from Judy Matt and her dedicated team and the Board of Directors at the Spirit of Springfield. Thanks to them and all of the sponsors, we are able to hold some of our most beloved celebrations in the city, such as the treasured Bright Nights in Forest Park which is once again recognized as the largest holiday light show in New England.

As your humble and honored mayor, I look forward to serving our residents and businesses and helping to build a better Springfield for all. Together, we will celebrate the enduring spirit and resiliency of our city. As my administration has done before with all prior challenges, whether natural or man-made disasters, and just as important – we will get through this together and for the better as one. Thank you to the Spirit of Springfield, we are looking forward to celebrating all of our 2023 events soon. May God Bless you, your families and our City of Springfield.