Families throughout the Lowcountry make an annual tradition of visiting the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park. With over 750 displays shining bright, the festival features lighted images of all shapes, sizes and themes. Now through Dec. 31, kids ages 12 and under are invited to present their ideas for a new light display to the creators of the Holiday Festival of Lights through the 4th Annual Light Display Design Contest!
One submission will be selected as the winner, and that child’s design will be considered as inspiration for a new light display at the 2014 Holiday Festival of Lights. The grand prize winner will receive a Super Splash Pass that provides season-long admission into Whirlin’ Waters, Splash Zone, and Splash Island waterparks for summer 2014. The contest ends upon the finale of the festival on Dec. 31, 2013, and all entries must be received or postmarked by Jan. 4, 2014. For all contest rules and guidelines, see the entry form at www.holidayfestivaloflights.com.
Light Show Supervisor Rich Raab has designed displays at the Holiday Festival of lights on site at James Island County Park since 1990. Current designs range from holiday themes to dinosaurs, trains, space ships, aquatic themes, Charleston iconic imagery and hundreds more. Raab creates each design first on paper then develops his designs into a light structure based off his drawing. Winning entries from the past three years’ contests were turned into displays featuring a Ferris wheel, the South Carolina state flag and a penguin sliding down an ice berg.
The 24th Annual Holiday Festival of Lights opened Nov. 8 and will run nightly through Dec. 31, 2013. The festival features a three-mile driving tour through over 750 light displays, plus areas where visitors can get out of the car and enjoy gift shops, marshmallow roasting, walking trails, school art displays, an old-fashioned carousel, a festival train and much more. For more information on the Holiday Festival of Lights, including event hours and fees, call 843-795-4386 or visit www.holidayfestivaloflights.com.
