Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE iconic – I Love Mutare – sign at Meikles Park was erected earlier this year, and was later fenced off.
Since then, it has grown into a favourite landmark for both residents and travellers passing through or visiting Mutare.
However, its allure appears to have tripled during the 2025 festive season, as it is no longer just the sign that glows, but the entire park in which it stands.
As dusk settles over the city, Meikles Park no longer slips quietly into darkness.
Instead, it comes alive in light.
What was once a quiet green pocket of the city after sunset has been transformed into a radiant carnival of colour, laughter and movement, announcing the festive season in province’s eastern gateway.
Since the switching on of the Christmas lights a fortnight ago, the park has become the heartbeat of Mutare’s nights, drawing families, couples, children and visitors into a shared celebration that feels both intimate and spectacular.
From the moment the lights flicker to life, Meikles Park has turned into a hive of activity.
Strings of lights shimmer above walkways, some suspended overhead in glowing arches that make visitors feel as though they are walking beneath a canopy of stars.
Surely, one has to steal a visit to the infamous park to taste the experience of the soft hum of excitement mixed with children’s laughter, clicking of cameras and the distant rhythm of festive music drifting through the Central Business District.
Benches that usually sat empty at night are every night filled shoulder-to-shoulder, occupied by lovers stealing quiet moments, families resting after long walks, and friends soaking in the atmosphere long after the sun has set behind the mountainous skyline that frames the city.
For many interviewed residents, the Christmas lights have turned the park into a destination rather than a mere shortcut.
Last Saturday night, parents arrived hand-in-hand with children whose eyes widened at the sight of illuminated decorations dancing above them. Children tugged at their parents’ sleeves, pointing excitedly at glowing shapes and colourful bulbs that seemed to float in the darkness.
“This feels like the Mutare we want to see every day. People are smiling, greeting each other and sitting together. It reminds us that we are one community,” said a resident, Mrs Rumbidzai Samanga, who visited the park with her two young sons.
“The excitement on the children’s faces is priceless. They talk about it all day and insist that we come back every night. For them, this is Christmas. It feels safe, joyful and magical,” she added.
For university student, Miss Tanaka Chigumira, the lights had given Mutare a new night-time identity.
“Mutare has always been beautiful during the day because of the mountains, but at night it used to be quiet. Now it feels alive. When you take pictures here and share them, people from outside the city want to come and see it for themselves,” she said.
Vendors weaved through the crowds selling blinking balloons, Santa hats and light-up toys, their faces lit almost as brightly as the merchandise they carried.
Mr Blessing Hojera, who sells blinking balloons at the park, said business was booming since the lights were switched on.
“This is the best time of the year for us. Since the Christmas lights were switched on, the crowds have grown every night. Children do not want to leave without something that shines, and parents are happy to buy because the atmosphere is festive and safe
“We stay here until late because evenings were now better than daytime, and business had been very good,” he said.
For photographers like Mr Gift Nyamupachitu, the lights bring both opportunity and inspiration.
“This place has become a studio without walls. People want memories of this season, and the lighting here makes everyone look beautiful. Business has been very good, but more than that, it feels good to capture happiness,” he said.
At the centre of the spectacle stands the iconic and bold, three-dimensional “I Love Mutare” sign, which has quickly become the most photographed spot in the city at night.
Bathed in light, the installation glows against the dark sky, offering a perfect backdrop for memories. Couples posed arm in arm, families lined up for group photos, and visitors struck creative poses as professional photographers snapped away, turning fleeting moments into keepsakes.
The festive transformation of Meikles Park was officially ushered in during the recent Christmas Lighting Ceremony, which drew large crowds and marked the beginning of the holiday season in the city.
Speaking during the event, Mutare junior mayor, Councillor Stenic Munopa said the ceremony symbolised far more than decoration, describing it as a moment of unity and reflection for residents.
“On behalf of the City of Mutare, it gave me great pleasure to welcome everyone to the 2025 Christmas Lighting Ceremony. The event marked the beginning of the festive season in our beautiful city and brought us together as one community to share joy, hope and unity,” he said.
Councillor Munopa said Christmas encouraged reflection, gratitude and renewal, reminding residents of values such as love, compassion, generosity, peace and service to others.
He added that these values continued to guide the city’s vision of becoming caring, inclusive and prosperous.
“The lighting of these decorations symbolised more than celebration. It represented hope for a brighter future, hope for unity among residents, and continued growth and development for Mutare
“Even in the face of challenges, we remained resilient, inspired by the spirit of togetherness that defines our city,” he said.
Although the Christmas lighting ceremony was only a few years old in Mutare, it has quickly grown into a cherished tradition, long popular elsewhere but now firmly finding its place in the mountainous city.
Mutare Mayor, Councillor Simon Chabuka said Christmas Lighting ceremonies have been known to be done since time immemorial across the world.
“Christmas lighting ceremonies have been celebrated around the world for generations. Here in Mutare, we are proud to continue the tradition, bringing our community together to share in the joy, unity, and festive spirit that this season represents,” said Councillor Chabuka.
Every night, as darkness deepens, the lights above the walkways shine even brighter, casting a warm glow over faces below. Some decorations hang directly overhead, creating the feeling of walking through a tunnel of light.
Residents say it has redefined the festive season, turning public space into a shared living room where memories were made. As the festive season stretches on, laughter continues to echo across Meikles Park.
Cameras flash, balloons glow, and children bounce beneath lights that shimmer against the dark. For a few hours each evening, worries feel distant, replaced by colour, warmth and connection, in a city often defined by its misty mornings and green hills.
Mutare has found a new way to shine after sunset and for anyone seeking a festive season filled with light, joy and community spirit, Meikles Park has become the place where Christmas truly lived.
