ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke’s popular holiday light display, Illuminights, wraps up its seventh season tonight with nearly 50,000 visitors having experienced the winter wonderland at Explore Park.
“We’ve seen close to 50,000 folks here this winter and we’re looking forward to finishing out strong here on the last night of Illuminights,” said Alex North, Marketing and Administrative Coordinator for Roanoke County Parks & Recreation.
The attraction, featuring more than 650,000 lights, has become a cherished holiday tradition for many local families and visitors to the region.
“It’s been really cool to see it through the eyes of others throughout the season this year at Illuminights,” North said. “We’ve had folks who’ve been here before or for the first time, and it’s really cool to see their expressions when they’re going through the lights with family and friends.”
For some visitors, like Jennifer Witt and Laura Cambs, Illuminights has become an annual tradition. “We come every year. We moved here four years ago from Hawaii, so we’ve been coming every year since we moved here,” they shared.
The spectacular display represents months of preparation by park staff. Setup begins just after Labor Day, with crews working through November to create the magical experience.
“It’s really great to see all that hard work through all the fall and all that planning and effort really become successful and become a family tradition for those in our region every year,” North explained.
First-time visitors have also been impressed by the display. “I think it’s amazing. I think it’s something fun for the whole family to do,” said Katie Lohr, who visited with Perry Barron and Brooklynne Inscho.
Travis Meadow, another visitor, brought his family just in time for the final night. “The kids love this. They love all the lights, especially the snowman,” he said.
While this season concludes, planning for next year’s Illuminights is already on the horizon. “Once we finish up tonight, our staff will take the rest of the weekend to rest up,” North said. “They can reflect on the memories of this year. But then once they get everything back in storage, we’re already planning for next year’s event and looking forward to many years to come here at Illuminights.”