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Lights Stay Out At Hartwood Acres For Second Straight Year

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – More than 3 Miles of holiday lights once lead the way to the mansion at Hartwood Acres.

But for the last two years, the light show has been cancelled.

A holiday tradition since 1991, more than 2 million lights illuminating the way – some displays standing 3 to 40 feet high for 3.2 miles.

But those days are gone for some 600,000 people who had come over the years to enjoy it.

This year, all county park visitors will see from their cars is a tree-lined path leading up to the Hartwood Mansion.

Once sponsored by UPMC and Allegheny County, sadly the well has run dry for two years in a row.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says financial concerns led to the cancellation of the tradition.

It costs $1.5 million to pull it off, but with sponsors dropping in recent years and the county not wanting tax payers to foot the bill, the show can not go on.

Last year, a private vendor offered to sponsor the lights, but the offer was made too late to pull it off.

This year, the offer wasn't made.

There have been petitions to keep the show going and a Facebook page created in support of the lights, but neither has gained much momentum.

The good news is, the county is in the process of putting together a business plan in hopes of bringing back the lights and a spokesperson says this setback doesn't mean the lights are out forever.

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