COLUMBUS, Ohio – December 4, 2006 – 75 years after State Auto Insurance Companies founder Bob Pein began the tradition, State Auto will again flip the switch this week on their annual Christmas display at their headquarters at 518 East Broad Street, next to the Museum of Art.
State Auto’s Christmas display has evolved from a rooftop Santa Town with thousands of lights and hundreds of Christmas trees to the current life-size Nativity. The 1931 display featured 480 Christmas trees and nine miles of electrical wiring. Three years later, there were 8,000 lights and a 16-foot church on top of the building. More than a million people were said to have seen the early State Auto displays each year. There are over 70 life-size figures in today’s display.
The display will be lighted through January 1 from 6 to 8 a.m. and 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. daily, later on weekends and on Christmas Eve.
Local singing groups will perform at the display weekends throughout December. All performances are free and begin at 7 p.m. When near the building, radios can be tuned to 91.5 FM to listen to the choirs and other sounds of the season.
All performances are free and begin at 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 9 Swiss Club Men’s and Women’s Chorus
Sunday, December 10 Damenchor
Saturday, December 16 Signs of Christmas Choir
Sunday, December 17 His Word Choir
Saturday, December 23 Grove City Chamber Singers