The City of Sturgis has been known as the “Electric City” for over a century, due to its municipal electric utility and hydroelectric dam, which began operating in 1911 and continues to serve the community today. 

“When a lot of cities weren’t producing their own electricity, we were,” says Ericka Kruszka, community development specialist with the City of Sturgis. “I think we were kind of ahead of our time.” 

The idea of doing something with the Electric City branding had been floating around the City for some time. “Staff would always talk about it, like how fun that would be, so unique and different [from] what other cities do,” says Kruszka. “Finally, I think we realized, ‘hey, that’s our slogan. We’ve got to light the city up.’” The result of those conversations, termed the Electric City Project, is the City of Sturgis’ entry for the 2026 Community Excellence Award. 

Downtown Sturgis is now extra-electric, thanks to the installation of nearly 3,000 feet of programmable LED accent lighting along Chicago Road, the city’s main corridor. The lighting system allows the city to change colors throughout the year. Red, white, and blue displays mark Independence Day, downtown glows green around St. Patrick’s Day, and other combinations help celebrate everything from Valentine’s Day to Christmas. 

“It certainly wasn’t as jazzy [before] as it is now,” laughs Kruszka. 

“I think people get excited,” says Downtown Event Coordinator Ryan Conrod, “They want to go downtown—like, ‘Hey, have you seen the picture we posted? It’s this color right now. Well, I guess you’d better drive through downtown so you can see it!’” 

An alley behind Five Lakes Coffee has been spiffed up into Electric Alley, creating a more welcoming pedestrian connector with Edison bulbs zigzagging overhead. “It just makes for a little more welcoming and alive downtown,” says Kruszka. 

“A well-lit alley is much preferred,” adds Conrod. “[It] looks like it’s well-cared-for when you’re making an entrance through the back door of a business.” 

The Electric City Project also included the development of a downtown food truck park. Located within easy walking distance of downtown businesses, City Hall, and the Sturges-Young Center for the Arts, the space provides four dedicated food truck hookups and seating. The adjacent historic pumphouse was repainted with murals by artist Heidi Wolfe declaring You Are Electric in English and Tú Eres Eléctrico in Spanish. The City has been hosting Food Truck Fridays throughout the summer. 

The final piece of Electric City is its community art program. Each year, local artists submit work for consideration in a public art display coordinated through downtown. Selected pieces are enlarged and displayed, creating an outdoor gallery experience that showcases local talent. The City has integrated QR codes in the displays which connect to information about local businesses and attractions, encouraging visitors to wander and explore. 

Like so many placemaking efforts, funding for the Electric City Project came from many pots. The City, Downtown Development Authority, local businesses, residents, and the Sturgis Area Community Foundation all contributed to the effort. A Patronicity crowdfunding campaign helped secure matching funds through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces Community Places program, while former Community Development Specialist Jeff Coney helped coordinate fundraising and outreach.  

“It really was a community project,” says Conrod. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Electric City Project was held in October 2024, and the LEDs on Chicago Road debuted in Halloween colors. The various sights of Electric City—the LEDs, Electric Alley, the food truck park, the community artworks—have been regularly popping up in social media feeds. Neighboring communities have called up: “I have received calls from some other cities like, ‘Oh, we love what you’re doing. How can we do it? How much is it?’” says Kruszka. “It’s nice that people are interested.” The project has also earned Sturgis traditional media coverage: PBS and the Detroit Free Press published stories about Electric City in 2025. 

Moving forward, the City is looking to build on the foundation Electric City Project has set. “We’ve even had conversations recently on how to build from it,” says Kruszka. “Maybe we could find a way that everybody [who] submits art can have something somewhere—maybe we can display it in our parks.” 

“This kind of thing births new and better ideas.”  

“Our downtown is booming and we’re just moving to the next phase,” says Conrod. “We have these spaces [now.] So, when we do want an event or somebody has ideas, we have places to do them.” 

“We’re still growing. We’re electric.” 

Author

Emily Pinsuwan

Emily is the League’s full-time Content Writer, composing emails, articles, blog posts, and press releases. If you need words, she has many. Prior to becoming a word person, she was a restaurant person, handling catering, event management, and marketing; prior still, she was a teaching person, at a private boarding school in Massachusetts. Having earned a master’s degree in Classics from the University of Georgia, Emily is confident that she is the only League employee fluent in Latin. She also enjoys cooking, stand-up comedy, and is an avid gamer, having achieved level 40 on her Steam profile.