Organizers of Santa's Rockin' Wonderland set up the light show at Kathryn Stagge-Marr Park in Goshen. From left are park district commissioner Erwin Walker Jr., Ellen Garner, Bobby Crawford and Jane Garner.

Organizers of Santa's Rockin' Wonderland set up the light show at Kathryn Stagge-Marr Park in Goshen. From left are park district commissioner Erwin Walker Jr., Ellen Garner, Bobby Crawford and Jane Garner.
By Kristin Rover
Sun staff

Kathryne Stagge-Marr Community Park is being transformed into a spectacle of lights this week for Santa’s Rockin’ Wonderland, a light show that will be open to the public Nov. 23-Jan 2.

The light show is the work of Bobby Crawford, a Goshen High School graduate, who now attends Northern Kentucky University and operates the website for the Goshen Park District.

Crawford has previously choreographed a light show at his parents’ home in Loveland.

“I have always been fascinated by computers, and I love music,” Crawford said.

He approached the park district about having the show at the park this year with plans to use some of the funds raised at the event for charity.

“My grandmother passed away from cancer and me, my younger brother and my father have Type I Diabetes,” Crawford said.

He said he was inspired to raise money for the American Cancer Society and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The light show will grow from 20,000 lights at Crawford’s parents house to 60,000 at the park.

Crawford said he used a computer software program to create the show.

“There are 128 individually controlled circuits and it took about eight hours to program,” Crawford said.

And that doesn’t count the time that Crawford, his girlfriend, Ellen Garner, and other friends and family members spent putting the lights up at the park.

Crawford said he wanted to make the event public because it would be a unique holiday activity in Clermont County.

“It will be special for Clermont County families because we don’t have something like this,” Crawford said.

Erwin Walker Jr., a park district commissioner said they are excited to host the show at the park.

“It gets you into the Christmas spirit,” Walker said.

He said Santa’s Rockin’ Wonderland will coincide with some other holiday festivities in the township.

He said opening night of the event will be the same night as the Goshen Light Up Parade and the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in the township.

Santa’s Rockin’ Wonderland will be open Friday and Saturday nights from 6-10 p.m. Nov. 23 until Jan. 4.

Admission will be $3 for adults and $2 for children.

Walker said proceeds from the event will go toward the park district and Crawford’s charities.

More information about Santa’s Rockin’ Wonderland can be found at the park district’s website, www.goshenohparks.com.