Gaslight Festival to return to Historic W. 8th Street this summer
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2023
Contact: Darla Sallee
darlacouch@gmail.com
765.617.3286
Gaslight Festival to return to Historic W. 8th Street this summer
2023 Marks the 50th anniversary of the original festival
Anderson - Anderson’s Gaslight Festival is set to return to Historic W. 8th Street on Saturday, August 26 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as a revived summer event for local families.
Plans have been in the works for several weeks. Confirmed activities for the event include a parade, tea service at the historic Lambert House; a pie baking contest; tours of homes in Anderson’s historical district; a Kid Zone with inflatables, games, and more; a car show; carriage rides; vendor booths, food trucks, live music throughout the day, a beer and wine garden, and more.
“We wanted to bring back as many of the traditional events of the festival as possible this year,” stated committee member Darla Sallee, “and we definitely have plans for this event to continue to grow in the years ahead.”
The Gaslight Festival Committee is a collaboration of neighbors of Historic W. 8th Street, AIMS (Anderson Indiana Main Street), and Cirque de Sallee, individuals who love Anderson and operate under the united festival mission of “honoring our history and uniting our community with affection for the past, present, and future.”
“There has really been a renewed camaraderie between the neighbors on 8th street. Getting together over the past few years has energized us to do more activities over time,” commented Shelly Lavelle-Slabe. “We started with organizing cookie shares and Christmas decorations, and we wanted to involve more of the community, so we promoted Trick or Treating in the Historic W. 8th Street district.”
“We were blown away with the number of people who participated in the Trick or Treat event and the number of people who just wanted to socialize,” stated Shelly Bond. “Bringing back the Gaslight Festival seemed like a natural next step for the neighborhood and the city.”
Mayor Thomas Broderick, Jr. enthusiastically approved the idea, commenting, “The Gaslight Festival is one of the memories that people who grew up in Anderson share. It is events like this that bring us together. We reminisce about the Gaslight Festival or the 4th of July Parade and Celebration or the Free Fair and we smile. It’s important to have these events that bring us together and it’s important for us to create opportunities for our youth to make happy childhood memories and be a part of our proud Anderson history.”
Modest fees and reservations will be required for Afternoon Tea Times and Historic House Tours.
Parade applications are now being accepted. No registration fee is required for parade participation. Vendors of crafts, retail items, and food are also invited to reserve space now. All activity applications and registration forms are available on the Anderson Gaslight website. Paper copies of applications and registration forms are available in the Economic Development office of the Anderson City Building at 120 E. 8th Street.