West Virginia Light Festivals Dazzle Visitors This Holiday Season

Winter Festival of Lights one of American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America

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Holiday light shows around West Virginia

Charleston, WV (November 12, 2015) – Wild, Wonderful West Virginia encourages visitors to experience the Real. wonder of light shows throughout the Mountain State, including the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.

“As one of West Virginia’s most treasured holiday traditions, the Oglebay Festival of Lights continues to offer families and visitors a chance to experience one of the most impressive light displays in the country,” Commissioner of Tourism Amy Shuler Goodwin said. “The memories and experiences found here in Wheeling during this special holiday time are just one of the many adventures found in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.”

From November 13, 2015 to January 3, 2016 visitors can view the Winter Festival of Lights Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.  Visitors will be treated to 80 awe-inspiring displays–including cartoon caricatures and an enormous polyhedron star consisting of more than 2,000 lights–along the six-mile driving tour. Trolley tours are also available and offered several times each night beginning at Wilson Lodge.  

“The Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay has been bringing smiles to young and old for 30 years and we are delighted that so many have made the annual light show a holiday tradition,” said Caren Knoyer, Marketing Director at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. “The Festival of Lights started in 1985 with just five light displays and has grown into one of America’s largest holiday light shows with more than 80 displays and a million lights over 300 acres. We look forward to the next 30 years!”

The renowned light display has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a spot on the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America and AOL Travel’s 10 Best Christmas Light Displays in the U.S.

“Oglebay Resort’s Festival of Lights is Wheeling’s premiere wintertime event attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors who spend millions of dollars,” said Frank O’Brien, Executive Director of the Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Festival of Lights reinvents itself to create must see new lighted displays throughout the six mile driving tour. The people of Wheeling love sharing their most treasured asset with the rest of the country.”

Additional holiday light shows around the state include Holiday of Lights in Bluefield; Christmas in the Park at Chief Logan State Park; Celebration of Lights in Fairmont; Christmas Fantasy Light Show in Point Pleasant; Yuletide in the Park in Hurricane; Christmas Festival of Lights in Petersburg; Lacy’s Lights and Maples Display at Fayette County Park; and Holiday in the Park in Parkersburg.  Read more: 9 winter lights festivals that will get you in the holiday spirit.

Real. Excitement * Real. Family Time * Real. Mountain Flavor * Real. Adventure * Real. Fun * Real. Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.  You can find it here.  Call 800-CALL WVA or visit GoToWV.com.  Share your Real. West Virginia stories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #GoToWV and #RealWV.

This post was last updated on November 12, 2015