ROANOKE, Va. – Illuminights, a popular winter wonderland, will soon return to Explore Park with tickets going on sale on Friday.
10 News got a sneak peek of the park while they were setting up Illuminights, and it’s sure to be a blast this year.
“The Winter Walk of Lights trail is the main portion of Illuminights where folks can travel down our half-mile wooded path and see the sights and sounds of the season starting on November 23 and 24 and then running all the way through 32 nights total through the 30th of December,” said Roanoke County Parks and Recreation’s Alex North.
Illuminights consists of more than 650,000 light attractions, featuring everything from Santa to a spectacular Christmas area. However, it’s more than just a light show.
“It’s a partnership between Explore Park and Center in the Square, so all the funds raised during Illuminights go back into the park and our programs between Center in the Square and Explore Park,” said North.
North also said this year, they are doing something new called non-profit nights.
“We partner with some local organizations and some local nonprofits too, where they offer 10 volunteers on select nights, and then in return, they get a discount code and then they get some money and funds back during the holiday season to their nonprofit,” said North.
In addition to the light show attractions, Illuminights also has some cool photo ops where you can take pictures with friends and family, including a new train.
“We have the WSLS Christmas package that is along the trail. We have the Christmas wreath. We have our giant walk-through ornament on the other side of here that staff are setting up before we get kicked off and underway for Illuminights,” said North.
When you are done taking pictures, there’s something else you can check out.
“We have our artisan Christmas market, which is open in the Explore Park visitor center to get your holiday shopping done. There with a lot of handmade unique items to Explore Park from about 40 local vendors, and we’ll have marshmallow roasting on select nights. We’ll have food vendors here every night,” said North.
Again, tickets go on sale on Friday with Illuminights opening on Nov. 23.