Final preparations underway for 2023 Bright Nights season

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - We are just a few days from the beginning of the annual Bright Nights at Forest Park and the Spirit of Springfield has a positive update on preparations.

One of the most well-known holidays lighting displays in the country will soon brighten Forest Park in Springfield once again. Since late October, crews have been working to get the dozens of bulbs and other attractions set-up for tens of thousands of cars and people. Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt told Western Mass News that they are ahead of schedule and 100 percent complete with setup.

“They’re testing everything to make sure all of the lights are where they should be,” Matt said. “We’ve had very good weather for setup, excellent weather.”

From Dr. Seuss characters to the blizzard tunnel, so many holiday season lovers will gaze at the amazing spectacles that light up the park starting the night before Thanksgiving. Since tickets first went on-sale, people have been purchasing them as quick as they can. In fact, 888 tickets have already been bought online, which is double the amount sold this time last year. Matt said they’re ready for big crowds.

“Over 40,000 vehicles. We estimate a 180,000 to 200,000 (people),” Matt explained.

Our crew drove through the park to get a preview of what people can expect. Some lights were already on, which is a promising sign for attendees. We caught up with a walking group who lives in the Forest Park area and they cannot wait to drive along the Bright Nights path once again.

“My grandkids come from Philadelphia, all of my kids come from Boston, and we look forward to it every year,” said David Pleet of Springfield.

Matt said there will also be carriage and wagon rides offered to folks who want a special kind of experience and she told us there will be new attractions at Santa’s Village, such as a new carousel ad a special someone will be back at the park.

“We have Santa every single night. Before COVID, we had Santa every night and we had the Santa photo booth. Then, during COVID, you couldn’t have Santa sitting with children. The last two years, we had Santa waving or walking around,” Matt noted.

Bright Nights at Forest Park kicks off on Wednesday, November 22 and concludes on New Year’s Day. You can CLICK HERE for more information and tickets.

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