By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — In 1989, a small group of volunteers brought 11 whimsical light displays on to the frontage road of Sinnissippi Park for the debut of a drive-thru event that has become a staple of the holidays in the city.
Festival of Lights is a much bigger and brighter tradition now as it enters its 35th year of illuminating Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St. The free, volunteer-run and donation-funded event will feature more than 120 displays when it kicks off the season on Friday.
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The committee that puts on the event has added 15 new displays this year, and there are more twinkling lights and tree uplighting to illuminate the park as vehicles roll through.
“It’s eclectic. It covers and canvases the holiday season,” said Ted O’Donnell, co-chairman of the Fourth of July Civic Committee, which puts on both the summer fireworks display and winter Festival of Lights. “It has humor. It has traditionalism. It has everything you could want in an event that piques your interest the entire time. It never gets stagnant.”
The holiday tunes can be pumped through on your radio as you drive through, with B103 (103.1) playing exclusively seasonal tunes Friday through Christmas Day.
The Festival of Lights was founded by Joe Marino and John Peterson with a small crew to help. O’Donnell and his cousin Tom Luepkes picked up the reins in 2016. At the time there were 45 organizations participating through sponsorship or providing displays. There are now 112 businesses, church groups, organizations and families.
The event is still setup and organized by a small group, with just a handful of people installing the displays each year.
Money raised through donations — which are taken both in boxes at the event and online — is pumped back into maintaining the displays, purchasing new ones and funding the annual Fourth of July Fireworks.
“I have a lot of pride in this event,” O’Donnell said. “Uncle Joe really took the Fourth of July and there’s nothing more Tom and I could probably add to that because he set the bar so high.”
O’Donnell said they try to keep the Festival of Lights fresh through new displays and tweaks to the setup. He takes pride in hearing people say they’ve been making the Festival of Lights a tradition since they were kids, and now they bring their own children through the park.
“That’s our fuel. It makes us proud that we do this event,” he said. “It’s a very proud feeling we get when we see the support of the community.”
Hours & schedule | Festival of Lights
Where: Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford
Grand opening: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29
Friday, Nov. 29-Sunday, Dec. 1: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 5-8: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 12-15: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Dec. 16-23: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: 24 hours
Dec. 26-30: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
New Year’s Eve: 5 p.m. to midnight (last showing)
*Santa Clause schedule: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 29-Dec. 1; Dec. 6-8; Dec. 13-15; Dec. 20-22
*Snow Queen schedule: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 5, 12, 16-19, 23, and 26
*Weather conditions pending
How to help
You can help keep the display running by donating to the Festival of Lights online at 4thandlights.com.
Festival of Lights attendance
2023: 126,894
2022: 105,150
2021: 105,453
2020: 103,560
2019: 84,840
2018: 52,758
Source: Festival of Lights / Rockford 4th of July Civic Committee