The Lights of Christmas by the Numbers

Behind the twinkling lights and breath-taking displays, there is an incredible amount of careful planning and preparation that goes into the execution of The Lights of Christmas each year. The following information is a collection of interesting (and sometimes fascinating) statistics we have compiled about The Lights. The next time you need a conversation starter, feel free to drop a few of these numbers into your conversation.
(Note: Unless otherwise specified, the information is based on annual numbers.)

General Event
18 – Days The Lights of Christmas is open in 2008
20 – Cords of chopped firewood used each year to keep our guests warm at the fire pits
93 – Days it takes to set up the event. Set-up begins the day after Labor Day and lasts until opening night
475 – Kilowatts of electricity used. The highest measure in years past was 510 kilowatts, before transitioning to more LED lights
844 – Entertainers delighting guests with a variety of music and drama since 1997
18,000 – Light strands, enough to stretch from Warm Beach to Qwest Field
31,500 – Lights used on the “Bill Burr” tree next to the Mountain Scene
75,000 – Zip ties used in hanging the decorations
125,000 – Printed pieces of publicity (brochures, rack cards, posters, etc.)
1,200,000 – Lights, at least, that is where we stopped counting

Guests
6 – Continents visitors have come from (all but Antarctica)
7,062 – Farthest number of miles traveled by a guest (New Zealand)
44,017 – Guests who attended The Lights in 2007
500,000 – Approximate total number of guests attending The Lights since 1997

Volunteers Last Year
53 – Largest group of volunteers, brought by Day Creek Chapel, Sedro Woolley, Washington
587 – Volunteers who donated their evenings to the event
2,300 – Shifts worked by volunteers over the entire event
20,000 – Volunteer hours of set-up and during the event

Food Consumed Last Year
.42 – Miles of hot dogs, if laid end-to-end, consumed. That is 2,225 feet or 890 pounds
80 – Gallons of sparkling cider served at the Dinner Theatre
283 – Gallons of Ivar’s Clam Chowder consumed
1,500 – Pounds of dry cocoa mix, enough to make 852 gallons of hot chocolate
4,157 – Pounds of meat consumed – rib tips, prime rib, chicken, fish, etc.
34,000 – Plastic gloves used to serve food
65,700 – Hot, fresh, mini-donuts consumed