The 18th year of The Lights of Christmas was as bright as ever! The attendance was the highest ever, with 72,501 people coming to enjoy the festivities. Guests were treated to a new Light Maze, a myriad of food vendors, as well as three indoor eateries. There were five live music stages, plenty of shopping, and all the kids’ favorite activities like train rides, pony rides, and Bruce the Spruce, the talking tree.

None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the faithful volunteers. This year over 750 volunteers donated 10,728 hours of service. Over a 100 volunteers per night powered the event. As you can imagine, there was a wide variety of jobs: indoor hosting, parking attendants, pony ride attendants, train conductor, and much more.

Darlene Brooks, who has been attending and volunteering at The Lights of Christmas since it began said, “I like volunteering because I love interacting with the guests. I love watching the families and their children and I love working the ticket booth on Pay What You Can Nights. There is just an atmosphere at The Lights of Christmas that I love being a part of.”

The Lights of Christmas is so much more than just a Christmas event. While there is plenty to do, The Lights of Christmas is really about creating an atmosphere of grace and hospitality, which is exactly what Jesus did when He came to earth in the form of a baby. That atmosphere is created by the people who staff the event, like our faithful volunteers.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made The Lights of Christmas 2014 happen. You are a light in a dark place. The Lights of Christmas would not be the same without you.