Beginning Nov. 4 and running through Veterans Day on Nov. 11, Otter Tail County will bathe its public buildings in green light as part of Operation Green Light, a national campaign aimed at recognizing veterans and highlighting available veteran services. County officials encouraged residents and local businesses to join by replacing a single exterior bulb with a green one during the observance week.

The county rollout is explicitly tied to outreach efforts by the Veterans Service Office, which maintains local offices in Fergus Falls and New York Mills. The visual campaign seeks to increase public awareness of those local points of contact for benefits, counseling, and other support programs — a central local objective in a region where rural access to services can be a barrier for some veterans and their families.

The initiative’s design relies on symbolic visibility rather than large expenditures, which makes it accessible to households and small businesses. Swapping a single bulb requires minimal cost and technical effort, while producing a visible signal across parks, government buildings and commercial corridors. That low-cost, high-visibility approach is the model behind many municipal participation efforts in recent years, which use lighting campaigns to raise awareness on issues ranging from mental health to domestic violence prevention.

From an economic and policy perspective, the campaign illustrates how small municipal actions can amplify public-service messaging. Civic visibility can help channel veterans to existing local resources, potentially increasing utilization of benefit services administered through county offices. Greater awareness can also affect demand for related local services — from counseling providers to law firms specializing in VA claims — though these effects are likely gradual and localized rather than immediate or large-scale.

There are modest market implications for community suppliers of lighting and hardware: seasonal demand for colored bulbs and outdoor lighting fixtures often rises when cities and counties coordinate lighting campaigns. For small retailers in Otter Tail County, the week-long observance could deliver a brief uptick in foot traffic tied to last-minute purchases.

The campaign also fits into a broader trend of civic rituals that use public space to mark national holidays and social causes. For Otter Tail County, the green-light observance is both a commemoration and a practical nudge to connect residents with the Veterans Service Office in Fergus Falls and New York Mills. By aligning local lighting with a national initiative, county leaders aim to make veterans’ needs more visible in the community and to encourage simple, participatory acts that reinforce civic recognition of service.

Residents interested in participating are asked to change one exterior bulb to green during Nov. 4–11 and to seek information about county veteran services at the Veterans Service Office locations in Fergus Falls and New York Mills. The campaign culminates on Veterans Day, when the county’s green lighting will join national observances honoring those who served.