By RODNEY D. BOAM
Citizen editor
Derek Hobbs drives one of Hickle’s light designs during the Grand Lighted Parade on Saturday evening.
Many of the displays built in Preston for the Festival of Lights are the handy work of Joe Hickle, a Minnesota native.
Over the years, the history of the Festival of Lights speaks of how it all began, but not as much has been written on the artisans who made the magic of the lights come to life. One of those was Joe Hickle. Hickle died last year on Dec. 30, at age 49, due to a lingering illness. (See the full story in The Preston Citizen.)
