POCATELLO — The historic Chopstick Café sign will once again captivate curious onlookers when it sparks to life during the 2nd Annual Neon Fest in historic downtown.

Hosted by the Relight the Night initiative — which has been instrumental in restoring historic neon signs in the historic downtown area — Pocatello’s 2nd Annual Neon Fest will run July 10 and 11.

As a prelude to the event, community members are invited to stop by throughout the week to watch local artist Nick Hottmann as he applies a fresh coat of paint to the iconic Chief Theater neon sign, located on the 200 block of North Main St.

Additionally, children ages 8 to 12 are invited to pick up an “Idaho’s Neon Capital Coloring Sheet” during the week at one of historic downtown’s participating merchants. Organizers will select a lucky winner July 8 to join Hottmann on a lift on the evening of July 10 to count down the sign as it is turned on.

That same night, organizers with Historic Downtown Pocatello are inviting residents and visitors to shop in the downtown area and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants.

The community is then invited to assemble at the Chief Theater neon sign starting at 8 p.m. for a relighting ceremony. Residents can then enjoy a series of hosted walking tours with local neon experts to learn about the history and unique charm of the restored neon signs.

The following day, July 11, the iconic Chopstick Café sign will return to its home in historic downtown, where it will be permanently affixed to the North Building on the 100 block of South Arthur Ave.

Earlier in the day, the community is invited to enjoy the Portneuf Valley Farmers Market, the Crafters Market at Station Square and the wide array of downtown shops, boutiques, bookstores and more.

At 6 p.m., residents and visitors can gather at Lookout Point for live music by Old School Combo and enjoy area food trucks and neon-themed giveaways. The Chopstick Café sign will be relit at 8:30 p.m. A movie in the park, featuring “The Karate Kid,” will follow, including free popcorn, cookies and neon drinks.

“These artistic lights of the night remind our community of beloved events, places and people,” a Historic Downtown Pocatello press release said. “They create the magic of the night, and add a burst of color during even the grayest of days. But, bit by shining bit, downtown’s beckoning signs were fading into darkness and despair until the work of the Relight the Night Committee began to relight these treasured historic signs.”

Historic Downtown Pocatello and the Relight the Night initiative have been pivotal in the restoration of neon signs since 2013.

The Chief Theater neon sign was the first completed project, followed by the repair, renovation and relighting of the Greyhound sign near the Union Pacific rail yard in 2015.

The next sign to be relit was the Pocatello High School Indian Head neon sign atop the school’s auditorium.

In 2017, the Paris sign on the corner of West Center Street and Main Street was relit as part of the Kind Community Kick-Off Celebration.

In 2018, the historic Yellowstone Hotel neon sign was relit following the annual Christmas Parade in November. The relighting marked the first time in more than 35 years the sign was completely repaired and turned on for the community to enjoy.

The following year, in April 2019, the historic Fred’s Photo neon sign was relit at a ceremony under the Old Town Pavilion. The sign stands on the corner of the Pavilion grass area.

That October, the Relight the Night Committee hosted a relighting ceremony for a Rexall Drug neon sign that had been renovated by its caretakers. The sign is located inside the Downtown Center at 435 W. Center St. and gives visitors an up-close look at a renovated, working neon sign.

One of the more recently restored signs was the historic Buster Brown Shoes neon sign, located on the corner of West Center Street and South Union Pacific Avenue, which was relit in November 2020 in conjunction with the annual Christmas Night Lights Parade.

The multitude of neon sign restoration projects culminated in Relight the Night’s inaugural Neon Fest on July 11 and 12, 2025. The historic Idaho Motel neon sign was completely restored and relit as part of the two-day celebration. The sign now shines brightly every evening at Lookout Point in the heart of historic downtown Pocatello.

The upcoming Chopstick Café sign restoration is being funded by a grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust, which will cover half the cost of the renovation. Fundraising for the remaining half is underway. Donations can be made at historicdowntownpocatello.com/relightthenight or mailed to Relight the Night, P.O. Box 222, Pocatello, ID 83204.

Organizers expressed special thanks to the Relight the Night Committee for their hard work in saving and restoring the Chopstick Café sign, and to Denis and Kathleen Clijsters, owners of the North Building, for providing a location for the sign along with its continuing care and maintenance.