First Thursday Lighting Ceremony Highlights New ‘Rainbow Garden’ Lighting

New lighting at Canan Commons. Photo providedNew lighting at Canan Commons. Photo provided

By Rick Zeigler—

MUNCIE, IN—Community Enhancement Projects (CEP) and the City of Muncie are pleased to announce a public lighting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the “Rainbow Garden” lights at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. The ceremony will take place as part of May’s First Thursday celebration on May 4, 2023 at 8 PM at Canan Commons, 500 S. Walnut. Brief remarks will be made by Mayor Daniel Ridenour and representatives of CEP.

The “Rainbow Garden” is a light installation designed to contribute a significant addition to the aesthetic landscape of Muncie’s downtown area while also providing necessary pathway lighting at Canan Commons. In brief, the eight light poles circumnavigating Canan Commons have been refurbished and repurposed to support a colored acrylic cylinder and LED lighting. Each of the eight cylinders are a different color, with progressive degrees of saturation from top to bottom. During the day, the sun will illuminate the colorful cylinders, while at night the cylinders will glow with color while also providing ambient lighting for the Commons’ perimeter walkway. Thus, the “Rainbow Garden” project is both an aesthetic installation as well as a functioning lighting system.

The “Rainbow Garden” at Canan Commons is a project of Community Enhancement Projects (CEP), with design by Jeanne Zeigler. The mission of CEP is to foster through beautification efforts a cooperative environment wherein area citizens, government, industry, and organizations continue to enhance and improve our quality of life for today’s community and future generations. The “Rainbow Garden” project aligns with this mission by creating a beautiful, unique and significant addition to Muncie’s downtown landscape that will help to improve the quality of life for all residents of our area.

For more information about the “Rainbow Garden” and CEP, please visit www.cepmuncie.org.