With most first-time events, there’s bound to be a learning curve and last year’s Sedona Northern Lights was no exception. But as the event returns this holiday season, organizers are looking to learn from the mistakes and make the experience an even better one.
Sedona Northern Lights is presented by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau and produced by PaintScaping, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in 3D projection mapping. Also known as video mapping or spatial augmented reality, 3D projection mapping is a technologically advanced method that uses specialized software to transform structures or objects into display surfaces for video projection. Sedona Northern Lights is the largest 3D projection mapping project to ever be performed on a natural canvas in the United States. From a site located 3,000 feet away, 12 projectors will be synchronized to cast a seamless, high-resolution image onto the 160,000 square foot face of Camelhead Rock at the top of each hour from 6 to 9 p.m., from Thursday to Sunday, Dec. 13 to 16.
The show will be visible from locations throughout Uptown while music will be played at viewing areas via KAZM 780AM. Even though last year’s event was deemed a success by many, it wasn’t a forgone conclusion that it would be brought back for another year.
“We waited until we received feedback from the community,” Chamber President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff said.
“People were very nervous going into this so we decided we weren’t going to announce we’d do it again until we heard what the community thought about it.”
Wesselhoff said while most of the feedback was positive, there was some criticism such as the sound wasn’t good enough and the story line fell a bit short. She said they tried to fit too many things into a nine-minute show including showcasing Sedona and having a holiday theme. This year, however, they are revamping the storyline in order to stick with a Christmas theme along with improved audio.
“The story is about a little girl named Sedona who doesn’t believe in Santa,” she said.
“She goes to sleep on Christmas Eve not believing Santa exists. The story is her experience of what happens Christmas Eve as she takes a trip to the North Pole to see Santa’s Workshop, which rejuvenates her belief in Santa.” Based on the Uptown merchants and sponsors who were surveyed post-event, business increased an average of 15 to 25 percent during the four-day span last year compared to that same week in 2016. Hotel occupancy was also up by 12 percent.
A concern of some was what potential impact a show of this magnitude could have on the environment. Wesselhoff said the chamber sought input from the U.S. Forest Service, Keep Sedona Beautiful and several other local organizations months before the planning process. Red Rock District Ranger Nicole Branton and staff researched the impact beforehand. Their district wildlife biologist did not feel that the temporary nature of the lights would have any significant effects on any roosting or hibernating animals. And there are no threatened or endangered species in that area.
“Sedona Northern Lights doesn’t add to the litter, human waste, illegal trails, looting of artifacts, erosion, etc., that can come along with more traditional activities on the National Forest that occur every day,” Branton said last year. Because of last year’s success, Wesselhoff said additional sponsors — who she said this event wouldn’t be possible without — have stepped up in order to help bring the show back again this year. That’s good because it once again carries a price tag of $100,000. It would have been less had they simply gone with last year’s show but the storyline revamp resulted in additional filming and mapping. “When you think of the overall scale of what it takes to put this on, I was very happy with the finished product,” Wesselhoff said, noting that this year’s show will again be about nine minutes long. “But we know there is always room for improvement.”
As this event moves on from year to year, Wesselhoff said she sees it becoming much more than simply a nine-minute show every hour. She would like to see carollers, reindeer, carriage rides, children’s arts and crafts, refreshment stands and shopping all in an attempt to bring the community together. “Similar to how Red Rock Fantasy was — and we know it will take time — but we’re hoping this will become a tradition that will bring people out for many years to come,” she said. For more information, schedules and viewing areas, visit SedonaNorthernLights.com.
