The “Shine On Chillicothe” leaders and Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce crew at the delayed ribbon cutting.
The Christmas season is nearing its end, but the “Shine On Chillicothe” holiday lights in Yoctangee Park will continue through January 2nd, and even had a delayed ribbon cutting on Monday.
The original ribbon cutting was planned for November 25th, but rain foiled that. The rain dampened the downtown Chillicothe Holiday Open House the previous weekend…but not too much.
I was finally able to interview Susan McKell of the “Shine On Chillicothe” organization at the Ross County Historical Society’s open house on December 20th, 2025. She said Shine On is a full-fledged independent nonprofit. They had to wait to see how the Yoctangee Park remodeling was shaping up before making final plans…but it doesn’t get much in the way of the light show.
They also had to work around a new artificial city tree, since the old one was dying. Watch Santa help with the countdown to the lighting in my story on the November 21st open house, among other sights from that evening.
McKell said the lights will remain on 24 hours a day until January 2nd – with a delayed ribbon cutting at 4:45pm on December 22nd. Hear her in her own words below, as well as see my video of the brief (and dry) ribbon cutting by the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce (or view their Facebook Reel video).
“Shine On Chillicothe” has a website and Facebook page, and Instagram account. The light show has also earned a place on the “Ohio Holiday Lights Trail,” a listing by the state tourism bureau.
See more of the “Shine On” display below, as well as in my story on the opening evening of the downtown Chillicothe Holiday Open House.
This video ends with the Santa and sleigh display (see a Facebook post of it lit) that was briefly revived atop the paper mill chip conveyor over South Bridge Street. (See a 1954 photo of the original posted on Facebook by the Ross County Historical Society.) Pixelle had brought it back, and now U.S. Medical Glove Company / U.S. Paper Mill Company, that now owns the paper mill complex, has it on display here.
The original is on display on the Green Township Fire Department building in Kingston (in a Facebook post). See also Patrick Sim’s impressionistic painting of the original (in another Facebook post).
Find the article on the Scioto Post.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.
