THRIVE Knoxville, the Marion County Historical Society and Marion County Conservation have announced their partnership in creating a lighted display through Marion County Park in Knoxville called Merry-n-County Christmas. This event will allow businesses, civic organizations and families to showcase their creativity through lighted displays and to bring families together to experience the holidays.

The event runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. from November 20th through December 23rd. A free-will donation will be accepted as admission. This year’s event coincides with Living Windows and the Festival of Trees, which are both scaled back due to COVID-19.

Display Creation: If you are interested in creating your own holiday display, please contact Curt Schwanebeck at curt@schwanebeck.com or (641) 891-2418 by October 15. All displays must be available by November 6 to allow for setup time.

Display Sponsorship: If you or your business are interested in the sponsorship of a commercially purchased display, sponsorships are available for 5 years and include the purchase of the display, plus 5% (of purchased price) maintenance fee for years 2-5. If you are interested in this option, please contact Aaron Carlson at carlsona22@gmail.com or (641) 891-1282. Displays must be purchased by October 23 for inclusion in this year’s event.

Monetary Donations & Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations of any size will be gladly accepted with checks made payable to THRIVE Knoxville. If you are interested in serving as a title sponsor, the sponsorship tiers are: Reindeer ($500-$1,000), Elf ($1,000-$2,500) and Santa ($2,500 and up). If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Aaron Carlson at carlsona22@gmail.com or (641) 891-1282. Donations may be mailed to 212 W. Marion Street, Knoxville, IA 50138.

Volunteering: If you or your organization are interested in volunteering to help set up lights and displays, tear down, or staff the admission gate, please contact Tyler Christian at (641) 891-6416.