With 150,000 all-new lights on the 128' tree, a lifesize Gingerbread House, a dozen new photo booth displays, and more, the 21st Bentleyville will bring holiday cheer to 300,000 guests.
The Bentleyville tour of lights has been an amazing triumph for Duluth. Voted best public outdoor light display for two consecutive years by USA Today, Bentleyville, America's largest free walk-through light display, returns to Bayfront Park in Duluth November 23-December 28.
With the backdrop of Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge with 1,000 ft ships sailing by, Bentleyville is a one-of-a-kind holiday experience. Photo by Dennis O'Hara
The annual walk-through holiday light display - featuring over five million lights, live characters, refreshments, and a wide variety of themed displays - welcomes an astonishing 300,000+ visitors annually. While many are local residents, others come from far and wide to visit Bentleyville. A study by UMD Bureau of Business and Economic Research in 2021 estimated a $24 million dollar economic impact.
But, beyond the astounding influx of tourism and cash for the local economy, Bentleyville is also doing great things for the community. Each year, the event collects and distributes thousands of pounds of food and thousands of children’s toys for the less fortunate.
Twenty-one years after its inception, Bentleyville remains free to the public, as it has since day one. Bentleyville offers free admission for all guests, as well as free hot cocoa & coffee, free cookies, free freshly popped popcorn, free marshmallows to roast, and free visits with Santa & Mrs. Claus!
Cookies, hot chocolate, coffee, popcorn, and marshmallows for roasting, and hats for kids visiting Santa are all free at Bentleyville
“As long as I’m at the helm, it will always be free,” said founder/creator/namesake, Nathan Bentley. “That’s part of the uniqueness of it all. A lot of people don’t have extra disposable income – especially at that time of year.”
Please Note: Parking is $10 per vehicle near the attraction, but if you're willing to hike a little, free street parking is available downtown after 5:30 pm.
Nathan Bentley
Nathan Bentley, the founder, mastermind and "Mayor of Bentleyville." Photo submitted
Nathan Bentley is, first and foremost, a businessman. He has owned Advantage Emblem, a screen printing and embroidery business, since the age of 18.
But he also has a heart of gold and enjoys doing acts of service to help others. In addition to creating and maintaining Bentleyville, he spends four months every year in Laos. Here, he helps renovate schools and installs infrastructure like roads and lighting.
Bentley and his wife, Tricia, have been married for 33 years and have four adult kids: Aryanah (32), Austin (30), Abbey (26), and Alex (24). The family has also grown to include two grandchildren, Zion (4) and Zane (6 months). The Bentley family also includes three “Doodle” dogs: a Sheepadoodle, a Goldendoodle, and a Mini Bernedoodle.
History
Bentley explained a little about how Bentleyville began. “It was a complete accident,” he noted with a chuckle. “It wasn’t built on purpose. I was just trying to put up more lights than my neighbor had.”
The holiday display celebrated its first year at the Bentley family home in Esko in 2001. When the family moved to Cloquet, Bentleyville did, too. It remained there for the next four years.
Nathan Bentley stands by a banner on the paved walkway at his home in Cloquet. Photo courtesy of Bentleyvilleusa.org
As the number of lights and displays grew, people took notice. “One of my employees facetiously called it ‘Bentleyville’ as a jab. Kind of like Whoville,” Bentley explained.
Bentley leaned into the joke and ultimately embraced it. He put up a Bentleyville banner and added apple cider and cookies - and the people just kept coming. Dozens of new light displays were added. He constructed a 78'x24' castle, made of 45,000 lights as the entrance, firepits warmed visitors, and Santa came nightly. The trails were paved to make it fully handicapped accessible.
“People started putting $1 and $5 under the Christmas tree I had by my shed to help contribute,” Bentley said. “I like to say it was organically grown.”
Traffic became an issue, so they built parking lots in nearby fields and used nine 72-passenger buses to handle the 35,000 visitors.
A Big Move
In 2008, then Duluth mayor Don Ness approached Bentley about relocating the display to Bayfront Festival Park. Bentley’s response? “Sure, we’ll try it.”
The event took a year off in 2009 while Bentleyville and City leadership focused on planning for the future. Power, infrastructure, and parking, among other topics, had to be figured out.
The event roared back - bigger than ever - in 2010, and is now “America's largest, free walk-through holiday display.”
Kids 10 and under receive a stocking cap when they visit Santa. Cookies, coffee, hot cocoa, popcorn, and marshmallows to roast on fire pits are all free.
Budget
Bentleyville has come a long way from its modest beginnings in Esko. The event now has an annual budget of roughly $1,000,000 (including in-kind gifts and services), which includes:
- $200,000 for new lights and displays
- $60,000 for stocking caps, which are free for children
- $45,000 for cookies, hot cocoa, and popcorn, which are free for guests, at the Cookie House
- $15,000 for restroom facilities
- $8,000 for cookies given out by Santa
- $9,000 for power bills
Other significant expenses include snow removal, equipment rentals, zip ties, trucking costs, insurance, costumes, and infrastructure.
Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge is the backdrop for Bentleyville. Photo by Dennis O'Hara
What’s New?
As with every year at Bentleyville, there will be some exciting new changes in 2024. Bentley shared what’s new:
- The iconic Bentleyville tree, the centerpiece of Bentleyville, is celebrating a makeover. All 150,000 existing LED net lights were removed, and new RGB lights were installed on the 128’ tree. “This is the largest makeover in the past 15 years that we have had on the tree,” Bentley said.
160,000 new RGB Lights on the 128' Bentleyville Tree tree, allow for millions of color combinations. Photo by Bentleyville
- A new apple cider building will be located near the firepits, where guests can stop to get a fresh cup of apple cider with a touch of cinnamon.
- A 60th anniversary Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer display, including an Island of Misfit Toys display.
- Twelve new places for photo opportunities have been added, including a life-size gingerbread house.
- A new gnome display.
- Bentleyville’s 4,000-square-foot gift shop has a new grand entrance and an expanded variety of Bentleyville merchandise.
- A life-size “Bumble” character will be available to greet guests.
- Santa and Mrs. Claus will be arriving by helicopter this year.
SS Bentleyville with the Aerial Lift Bridge displays the port city. Photo by Dennis O'Hara
Funding
Bentleyville is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity; as such, funding comes from a variety of sources.
Bell Bank, along with various other corporate sponsors, helps pay the bills. There are also annual fundraising events, like a candy bar sale. Funding is rounded out by donations, parking lot revenue (parking in a nearby lot costs $10), and retail revenue from the Bentleyville gift shop.
Financial donations are always welcomed and accepted by those who want to contribute. People are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped toys for kids and teens. These items are donated to and distributed by the Salvation Army and shared with seven regional locations.
Another way to support Bentleyville is to purchase some delicious Christmas Cookie Cream Ale, a seasonal brew offered by local brewery Bent Paddle. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Bentleyville.
Volunteers NEEDED!
It takes a giant team to host Bentleyville every year. Volunteers are needed nightly for the marshmallow hut, popcorn box, fire pits, and cookie house and to serve as greeters. Learn more about volunteering and sign up by clicking here
Volunteers include an 11-person Executive Board of Directors, who meet monthly to discuss budgets, contracts, and other high-level items. The Operations Committee (also called “Red Coat Staff”) consists of 30 people who coordinate all details and work as hands-on decision-makers for the event.
There is a 7-person sewing group that makes costumes for the live characters at Bentleyville, including Santa, Mrs. Claus, reindeer, penguins, snowmen, and more.
A group of four welding volunteers provide the welding and repairs for all the steel and aluminum displays. The Ironworkers Local #512 also volunteer to handle the set-up and take-down of displays and the enormous metal Christmas tree every year.
Bentley donates the time of some of the talented graphic artists at his company, Advantage Emblem, to create the displays. Interestingly, five federal prisoners are being transported from the Federal Prison Camp here in Duluth seven days a week to help set up Bentleyville.
Special Memories
Over the years, Bentley has witnessed some amazing memories being made. “People have had their first date there and gotten engaged there,” he shared.
“Couples have even gotten married there,” he added. “We host between 3-4 weddings a year.
“People also name their kids and dogs after Bentleyville! It’s really fun that the next generation is also bringing their kids. I enjoy seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces and just watching them have a good time.”
Schedule
Bentleyville Tour of Lights opens November 23rd and runs through December 28th. The event is open from 5-9 PM on Sundays - Thursdays and 5-10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fireworks will happen BOTH opening and closing nights - Saturday, November 23rd (at 6:30 pm), and the final night, Saturday, December 28th - at 6:30 pm.
For more information, go to BentleyvilleUSA.org
Bentleyville USA lights up Duluth, November 23 - December 28. Photo by Dennis O'Hara
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Andrea Busche is a Duluth + regional freelance writer and small business owner. She is credited with over 1,000 bylines in local print and digital publications, and has been a frequent contributor to Destination Duluth since 2017.
