Night Lights Event Official Statement

St. Louis, We Need Your Help: Clearing Up Misconceptions from Our Recent Event

Original Event Date:

Saturday, October 19th, 2024

New Event Date:

Night Lights Official Statement

Statement Date: Thursday, October 24, 2024

To our St. Louis community and Night Lights supporters,

We’ve always loved hosting our Night Lights events at Cedar Lake Cellars, and this past Saturday, October 19, was no exception. The night was filled with breathtaking moments and incredible feedback from so many of you. However, we now face a challenge, and we need your help to ensure that the magic of Night Lights can continue to bring joy to this region.

Recently, a misinformed social media post has been circulating, painting a false picture of our cleanup efforts. This post has sparked negative comments and, unfortunately, threatens our ability to return to Cedar Lake Cellars and the St. Louis area in the future. We want to address this head-on and set the record straight.

Unfortunately, the post was closed for comments to anyone on our team as of 9:00 pm on Wednesday, October 23rd, so we didn’t have the opportunity to reply or share our side of the story at all. This has left a one-sided narrative circulating, and we feel it’s important to provide the full context of what really happened.

You can see the full Facebook Post by clicking here.

What Happened: Addressing the Misinformation

The post in question shows two photos taken early on Sunday morning, October 20, before our team completed cleanup efforts. The suggestion that we abandoned lanterns or caused harm to the environment is not true.

Here’s the truth: Our cleanup began at 8:30 AM on Sunday, and by 1:00 PM, the area was thoroughly cleaned, with only a few lanterns (about 150 out of 10,000) drifting onto nearby properties, including Mikus Farms and Pumpkins Galore. We reached out to the property owner multiple times, offering to resolve the situation quickly, but we were met with a demand for $10,000. Unfortunately, this was not a good-faith request, and we could not comply.

The Facebook Post we mentioned above was made by the mother of an employee at Mikus farms and was posted after these interactions with Mikus Farms and after our cleanup was complete. The idea that we hadn’t made any attempt at a cleanup is false.

Our Cleanup Process: How We Ensure a Positive Impact

Night Lights prides itself on our "leave it better than we found it" policy. For every event, we carefully plan, not only the experience, but also the cleanup. Our lanterns are biodegradable, made from rice paper, bamboo, and string, ensuring minimal environmental impact. We monitor wind speed and direction to predict where the lanterns will land and organize an immediate post-event cleanup.

At Cedar Lake Cellars, almost all of the lanterns fell within the expected area. Our core team, supported by local volunteers, cleared the entire venue and surrounding areas. We’ve done this for years across the country and consistently leave each site in excellent condition, often picking up unrelated trash to ensure the entire area looks pristine.

Setting the Record Straight: Misconceptions About the Event

There are a few key facts we want to clarify:

Night Lights Lanterns Are Safe and Biodegradable: Our lanterns are designed specifically for environmental safety. They are biodegradable and do not harm livestock or wildlife.
Cleanup Was Completed Before the Social Media Post: The post in question was made at 2:57 PM, after our team had already completed the cleanup. The photos were taken early in the morning, before we finished our efforts, but by 1:00 PM all lanterns had been collected, and the area was clear.
No Damage Was Done to Neighboring Properties: We had direct conversations with the property owner, who confirmed that no damage was done to his land. This was a simple matter of cleanup, which we were ready and willing to handle quickly.

How You Can Help: Share Your Positive Experiences

Night Lights has brought joy to communities across the country, including right here in St. Louis. If you attended the event and had a magical experience, we need your voice. Please consider leaving a positive review on Cedar Lake Cellars’ Facebook page to counter the negativity that has arisen from this misrepresented situation.

We believe that positivity is more powerful than negativity. Your honest experiences can help ensure Night Lights returns to Cedar Lake Cellars and that the venue isn’t unfairly affected by this misinformation.

What We Can Do Better: Commitment to Growth and Improvement

At Night Lights, we believe in constant reflection and improvement. While we’re proud of the events we’ve hosted across the country, we also know that there’s always room to grow. Here are a few things we’ve learned from this experience, and the steps we plan to take to be even better in the future:

Advance Notice to Neighbors and Communities
While we’ve always sent notices to nearby communities, we’ve learned that we need to provide more advance notice to the surrounding neighbors. We understand the importance of clear communication, and moving forward, we’ll ensure that notices are sent much earlier to avoid any surprises.
Consideration of Livestock and Local Wildlife
Although we’ve never had any issues with livestock or wildlife during our events, we recognize that there’s more we can do to understand potential risks. We’ll be reviewing how our lanterns might affect local farms and animals while they’re on the ground, and we’ll take steps to address any concerns before they arise.
Transparency on Permitting and Safety
To build more trust with the communities and venues we work with, we will make our permitting process and safety protocols publicly available. This includes information on how we work with local authorities to prevent fire hazards and ensure environmental safety. Our goal is to provide clarity on the measures we take to create a safe, responsible event.
Strengthening Relationships with Local Communities
We know that strong relationships with the farms, homes, and businesses near our venues are crucial. We will be dedicating more time and resources to building those connections, ensuring that we’re not just a one-night event, but a positive presence in the local community.

We’re committed to making these changes, and we truly value the feedback we’ve received. Our goal is to continue hosting magical, responsible events that reflect the best of Night Lights, while also learning and growing along the way.

Our Commitment to You and the Environment

Night Lights has always held sustainability as a core value. We work closely with local governments, fire authorities, and venue partners to ensure that every event is safe, responsible, and leaves no lasting footprint—other than the magic we create together. We will continue to uphold our commitment to the community, the environment, and the unforgettable experiences that Night Lights provides.

Final Thoughts

We appreciate your support and your willingness to hear the facts. Night Lights has brought people together for years, creating a sense of wonder and community. We hope to continue doing so in St. Louis, but we need your help. Share your story. Leave a review. Help us keep the magic alive.

For any additional questions or to see more about our cleanup process, feel free to visit our website here: https://www.nightlightsevent.com

Much love and thanks for your support!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to the lanterns?

Our team, along with local staff and volunteers, conducts a thorough cleanup after each event with the goal of collecting every single lantern. If any lanterns are missed, they are biodegradable and pose no harm to the environment. We also clean up any unrelated trash we encounter to ensure the area is left better than we found it.

Is this dangerous?

Like any event involving fire, there are potential risks. However, we work closely with fire marshals and local authorities to ensure safety at every stage. The event is held in a controlled environment, with authorities on-site monitoring wind speed, direction, and fire hazards, making it a safe experience for everyone involved.

What are the lanterns made of?

Our lanterns are made from three materials: rice paper, bamboo, and string. These materials are completely biodegradable and leave no lasting impact on the environment, ensuring that the event is eco-friendly.

Who cleans up the lanterns?

Night Lights has a core team of 10-15 experienced staff who travel to every event. They are pros at handling logistics and cleanup, and they make sure everything runs smoothly. We also work closely with local staff and volunteers, including high school and college teams, who help with the event and cleanup. These local volunteers typically work for a few hours, and in return, we make large donations to their teams, covering significant portions of their fundraising budgets for the year. This collaboration not only ensures a thorough cleanup but also benefits the local community.

We hope this clears up any confusion and thank you for your continued support. Night Lights remains committed to creating meaningful, responsible events that bring communities together in a positive way.

We’d Like to Hear From You

As we navigate this situation, we’re committed to growing, learning, and improving. If you have any questions, would like to share your thoughts about the community, or are a member of the media, we’d love to hear from you. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us move forward in the most thoughtful and responsible way.

Contact:‍

Shane Kofoed

Email: shane@nightlightsevent.com

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Thank you for your support!