IBEW Volunteers Hang Monument Circle Holiday Lights
Volunteers with IBEW Local 481 strung 7,984 lights on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument ahead of the Circle of Lights celebration.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Civic
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IBEW Local 481 volunteers installed holiday lights on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The lights will be switched on during the Circle of Lights celebration on Friday, November 27.
Why it matters
The Circle of Lights is a more than 60-year holiday tradition in Indianapolis, and this year's display includes new lighting and display elements. The installation is a community effort that keeps the downtown holiday display running each season.
The display uses 52 light strands with nearly 5,000 bulbs each, and 7,984 lights were strung on the monument. Jeff Wheeler expected 200 to 300 volunteers to finish in five or six hours, though the outcome was not reported.
The players
IBEW Local 481
A local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that volunteered to install and rebuild the holiday lights.
Jeff Wheeler
A volunteer organizer who estimated the number of participants and the time needed for the installation.
Bob Cadwell
A longtime volunteer who has helped string the Circle of Lights on the monument since 1984.
The details
Volunteers removed lights from barrels, untangled and tested them, attached them to a hook, and hoisted them to the top of the monument. IBEW Local 481 rebuilt all strands at the end of September with new sockets, bulbs, and garland. Bob Cadwell has helped string the lights since 1984.
Timeline
1984: Bob Cadwell begins helping string the lights.
End of September 2026: Light strands are taken apart and rebuilt.
Saturday, November 14, 2026: Volunteers install the lights on the monument.
Friday, November 27, 2026: Lights are switched on during the Circle of Lights celebration.
Civic Tradition
The Circle of Lights has been a fixture of Indianapolis holiday life for more than 60 years, and this year's rebuilt strands and new display elements continue that run. The volunteer-built installation on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument has been maintained through repeated rebuilds since the 1980s.
Downtown Indianapolis visitors will see the rebuilt display when the lights are switched on for the celebration on November 27. The new lighting and display elements will be visible to anyone attending the holiday event on Monument Circle.
The takeaway
The Circle of Lights shows how a volunteer crew can keep a 60-year public tradition running each season. Readers planning a visit can see the rebuilt display on Monument Circle when the lights come on November 27.
What happens next
The Circle of Lights celebration will switch on the monument lights on Friday, November 27, 2026.
Further reading
For more on local traditions, explore Indianapolis civic coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic.
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