Thousands turn out for Windsor’s Bright Lights Festival

Thousands of Windsorites turned out for the opening of a Bright Lights Windsor festival the mayor wants to make better each year.

Planning and preparations for the second annual Bright Lights festival started back in October. This year is jam-packed with many more attractions and lights, as well as local vendors camped out at the entrance of the park.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens opened the festival last Friday by pushing a big red button that lit up a 64-foot tree and holiday displays throughout the park.

“I think it’s going to be a very successful event and certainly beat the attendance we had last year which was over 60 thousand people who have walked through the park,” said Dilkens.

City Events Initiatives Coordinator Michelle Staadegaard said there are many people and lots of moving parts involved in putting on such a big festival. 

“It’s a huge project, there are so many elements that are a part of bright lights. We have so many departments that help us out throughout the year, getting prepared for bright lights, the infrastructure, the planning. And then we also have partners outside of our cooperation that we work with to really get things running ad to make it a really successful event,” said Staadegaard.

Dilkens said he wants the festival to grow bigger and better every year.

The Mayor and guest family has pushed the button to light up the Bright Lights Windsor tree! #JRNC506 #Windsor #BrightLightsWindsor #YQG pic.twitter.com/LzUgoMRWi5

— Kaitlynn Kenney (@kaitlynn_kenney) December 8, 2018