2012 Celebration in Lights

Virginia’s First Drive-through Holiday Light Event
Celebrates Its 20th Year
With New Spectacular New Light Displays
and Special Promotional Nights
November 22, 2012 - January 1, 2013

Celebration in Lights: If there are changes in the operating hours for Celebration in Lights due to the weather, the information will be available on the after-hours recording at (757) 926-1400 and posted online.

Celebration in Lights, Virginia’s first drive-through holiday light event, opens for its 20th season on Thanksgiving night (November 22, 2012). Newport News Park will be transformed by over 800,000 individual lights creating animated holiday and fanciful scenes. In celebration of its 20th year, the event will add a new 300’ long animated tunnel of lights, new “light tubes” which will create the effect of falling snow, new grapevine light balls, and a new 22’ tree near the main entrance. On each Friday night, the first 500 vehicles will receive a promotional give-a-way gift (give-a-way items vary, distribution while supplies last each Friday night). The event will be open each evening, 5:30 - 10:00 p.m. through New Year’s (January 1, 2013).

Since opening in 1993, over 2.1 million people have visited Celebration in Lights. The event opened with approximately 250,000 lights and has grown to over 800,000 lights including special additions for the Newport News Centennial (1999) and the Jamestown 2007 Commemoration (2007). Over 300 individual display pieces (70 animated), 43 arches, and three miles of rope lighting enhance the natural beauty of the two-mile drive along Newport News Park’s main road. All new display pieces added since 2007 use LED lights which result in a savings of approximately 30% on electrical cost compared to incandescent bulbs and last 100,000 hours verses 3,000 hours for incandescent. Older (pre 2007) display pieces are being refitted with LED lights.

Hours and admission are: Sunday- Saturday 5:30 - 10:00 p.m., $10.00 per car and $60.00 per bus (cash, credit cards, and checks made payable to the City of Newport News are accepted; advance/gift tickets may be purchased at the Newport News Visitors Center). Newport News Park is located at the intersection of Ft. Eustis Blvd. and Jefferson Ave. in Newport News, VA. Directions: Eastbound I-64 use Exit 247 (Lee Hall), Westbound I-64 use Exit 250 B (Ft. Eustis). For more information, call (757) 926-1400.