East Central Reporter

The Santa House that served as a venue for children to visit Saint Nicholas is returning to downtown Mattoon.

It will be adjacent to the annual Lightworks display at Peterson Park, according to Journal Gazette & Times-Courier (JG-TC). It will be located at the Third Street entrance to the park. Lightworks will open with a walk-through event on Nov. 17 and open to vehicle traffic the following day.

"What I think is wonderful is the nostalgia that people have about the house and what it meant to them years ago," Angelia Burgett, city tourism and arts director, said.

The outbuilding that is repurposed as Santa House was restored after efforts were stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, JG-TC reported. The restoration was made possible by a sponsorship from Mattoon residents Bob and Judy Jones. They want to honor their son, Tyler Ross Jones, who died at age 26 in March 2005. He was a business student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The restored building will be known as the Tyler Ross Jones Santa House. 

"Tyler really enjoyed Christmas and being around family and kids," Jones said. "We are really excited about it. Hopefully, the Santa House will be an asset not just for Mattoon but for the entire Coles County community again."

Kurt Stretch, superintendent of Mattoon parks, said the outbuilding was formerly used by Bagelfest organizers as an on-site office, according to JG-TC. That was during the late 1980s through the early 1990s. The building was repurposed as a Santa House every Christmas season during that time period. It was located downtown in Progress Square in some years and next to the Burgess-Osborne Memorial Auditorium in other years. The outbuilding, which is mounted on a trailer, was then used as an office at the Lake Mattoon campground for the next 15 to 20 years.

The structure was kept behind the LifeLinks building prior to being restored, JG-TC reported. The Joneses reached out to Stretch approximately three years ago, intending to restore the building for use as a Santa House again. Restoration efforts were accelerated with help from members of the Mattoon Firefighters Charitable Program. They installed a new roof, doors and windows, and water-resistant vinyl trim on the building.

Lightworks will feature more than 100 giant, lighted decorations, according to another JG-TC article. There will be opportunities for children and dogs to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The event attracts over 15,000 visitors every year, the city of Mattoon's website noted. Lightworks is free to attend and donations will be accepted.

Lightworks celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, JG-TC reported. The number of displays increased in recent years due to the installation of energy-efficient LED bulbs. An increasing number of businesses, civic organizations, and community members are sponsoring the displays.

"It's amazing how Lightworks has grown," Burgett said in 2021.