Manito Park holiday light show raises accessibility concerns

0

SPOKANE, Wash. – Manito Park is hosting its 5th annual holiday light show, but this year, the event has changed from a drive-through to a walk-through format. This shift has raised concerns about accessibility for some visitors.

In previous years, guests enjoyed the light show from their cars. This year, attendees are braving the cold to experience the lights on foot. Alissa Bouck and Nathaniel Daratha, who attended the event with their son Malakai, noted the challenges of navigating the stairs in Duncan Garden with strollers and wagons. “We lifted it down the stairs. It wasn’t very many stairs, so it wasn’t that big of a deal but if you have like I have your wagon, it might be more difficult,” they said.

Concerns have been voiced on social media, with many commenting that the event is no longer disability friendly. Some expressed disappointment over the absence of the drive-through option. Kelly Brown, Executive Director of Friends of Manito, the group organizing the show, explained the reasoning behind the change. “Well, the drive-through is because it was during Covid and we couldn’t be close to each other, so this is our way of transitioning back to the old conservatory light show and making it walk-through again,” Brown said.

Brown also mentioned that the drive-through format previously caused traffic issues in the surrounding neighborhood. “This is a historic neighborhood. It’s hard for lots of cars to travel through so just based on neighborhood feedback and community feedback we wanted to give people more opportunities to walk-through outside,” she stated.

To address accessibility, the event offers two accessible entrances on Park Drive and Tekao Street, along with reserved parking and drop-off zones for elderly and disabled guests. Bouck and Daratha suggested, “Just closer parking it would be my suggestion,” highlighting the long walk for other attendees.

During the event, workers were seen de-icing the walkways to ensure safety. Brown emphasized that they would continue to gather community feedback to improve the experience for all guests.


 

FOX28 Spokane©