Waltham Lions To Bring Holiday Light Show To Fernald Property

WALTHAM, MA — The Waltham Lions Club are taking over the former Fernald Property this holiday season with a light show.

From Nov. 27 after Thanksgiving through Jan. 3, the group will be covering the property in holiday lights that will blink in coordination with music on a radio channel.

"This is an exciting family event we’re bringing to Waltham, our goal is to bring some socially distanced joy," said Lions president Liz Pulice.

This is the first light show the Lions have done, and may be first of its size in Waltham.

Some of the civic club members, inspired by the light show at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, came up with the idea. It just so happened that the business the Lions partner with for the carnival, also offered a physically distanced light show option.

"It’s like when you go to an old movie drive through, you'll turn to a specific AM station, they’ll play holiday music that goes along with the lights," Pulice said.

The Lions worked with the city to find a space that could allow for a light show where people stayed in their cars, and where they could safely have a drive through event. The Fernald property was ideal because people could drive in one said and exit after the mile of lights on the other side, Pulice said.

The group put a lot of thought into holding their annual fundraiser in a way that would be consistent with safety guidelines amid the pandemic, she said.

People who want to experience the show can buy a $20 ticket per car and sign up for a time slot from the Waltham Lions' on this website.

"All of the proceeds raised will be coming to the Lions Club and then the club uses those proceeds to support the charity fund, which mostly stay within Waltham," Pulice said.

Organizers said they wanted people to drive through in individual cars, to lower any risk of contact with others to zero. If people have larger coronavirus bubbles, she said, they can organize a group rate or a caravan rate, too.

"We’re most excited about having something that families and children and organizations can look forward to," Pulice said. "It’s obviously been a tough year for the entire community but it’s just something that can bring a little holiday cheer."

The lights will go up right before Thanksgiving, so they're ready the Friday after.

"We just wanted to organize something that was 20 minutes of stress-free and positive for all," she said.

The civic club has also recently organized a cleanup, partnered with the Waltham Rotary Club and Brandeis' Community Service Department to donate clothing to local organizations for the Winter, and are planning a blood drive in December.

The Fernald Center, originally called the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children, was founded in Boston in 1848. The school moved to Waltham between 1888 and 1891. It would eventually grew to include 72 buildings on 196 acres. It later came out there were decades of neglect and abuse to the children housed on the property it transitioned into a center for mentally disabled adults, before it eventually closed in 2014.

The state sold the property to the city of Waltham that year for $3.7 million, retaining some rights to profit from future leases and with some historical preservation conditions. The city explored using the property as a high school or police station, but both were shot down because of environmental concerns.

Read more: Waltham Boys And Girls Club Creates Space For Online School, Thanks To Lions

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .