2014 Lights Festival Brings Dazzling Holiday Fun to Porter County

2014-Winter-Lights-PreviewThis Saturday, November 22 will mark Northwest Indiana’s largest holiday festival, Winter Lights Night. This festival hosted by Porter County Parks & Recreation, has been a tradition in Porter County, featuring a myriad of dazzling light displays, holiday activities, special guests and entertainment, and all capped off with an amazing fireworks display.

These lights will turn on for the first time this weekend, with the event kicking off the season on Saturday, November 22, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, 775 Meridian Road in Valparaiso. The cost for the event is only $5 per car load.

Children will have the chance to meet Santa Claus, get their faces painted, make crafts, decorate sugar cookies, write a letter to Santa and much more. A student art show and contest will be on display, with all guests getting the chance to vote for their favorite project. Special Guests the Snow Queen and Ice Princess will be joining the festival from 4-7pm. The skilled performers of the Chesterton High School Madrigal Choir will also be present, performing at 4 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. Food, cider and coco will also be available for purchase from a variety of local vendors.

Families will have the chance to take a wagon ride to admire the hundreds of light displays that illuminate the park. The Winter Lights Night Fireworks Show, which has become a Porter County tradition, will begin to light up the sky around 7:15 p.m. to close out the evening.

Winter Lights Night Festival will also be a drop off site for Toys for Tots and Porter County Parks. Members of the Dunes Leathernecks Marine Corps League of Valparaiso will be present greeting guests and collecting toys to later be distributed to families of Porter County.

The light displays are unique to the park, and many of them were custom-made by members of the maintenance staff. Some of the displays include a rollercoaster that is over 20 feet tall, a farm scene consisting of various pieces, and Santa taking off into the sky with his reindeer.

The Winter Lights displays will still be available for people to enjoy after Winter Lights Night, with a free drive through beginning on Thanksgiving Day from 5 to 9 p.m. It will then run every Friday through Sunday, from 5 to 9 p.m. through New Year’s Day. Donations are always welcome.

For more information on this event or the drive through, call 219-465-3586 or visit www.portercountyparks.org.