Duluth's Bentleyville 'Tour of Lights' is back, bigger than ever

When Nathan Bentley first started stringing holiday lights up at his house in Esko fourteen years ago, he just wanted to outdo his neighbors.

Now the display, which moved to Bayfront Park on the Lake Superior harbor in Duluth eight years ago, will feature nearly 4 million lights, including 150,000 more lights this winter on the 128-foot tall tree at the center of the event.

"There are other larger drive-through light displays in other parts of the country," said Bentley, who's now the executive director of the nonprofit that puts on the event. "But we're the largest free walk-through light display in the country that we've been able to determine."

It's become a second full-time job for Bentley for four months out of the year. He also runs a screen printing company.

But it's worth the work, he said.

"The people enjoy it so much, we have such fantastic volunteers, the community supports it so well, and it's become an economic impact for Duluth I just feel that it's the right thing to continue to do."

Duluth officials estimate the display kicks in about $20 million to the local economy.

The festival's budget has grown to $450,000 a year, Bentley said. That includes $32,000 for winter hats given to kids, $23,000 for hot chocolate, and about $12,000 for electricity, part of which the city of Duluth agreed to pay for this year.

But most of the bill is paid by sponsors, donations and fundraisers.

The display runs through Dec. 26. It requires a small army of 2,3000 volunteers to run — 60 people, every night, for the 37 nights the festival operates.

Last year, attendance reached a record total of 267,000 people. Bentley hopes to hit 300,000 this year.

He encourages every visitor to bring a nonperishable food item, or an unwrapped toy, which will be donated to the Salvation Army in northeastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.