November 27, 2014 - January 1, 2015
New for 2014: Lee Hall Depot Train Station, Forest of Lights, and Peace Garden Additions
Celebration in Lights, Virginia’s first drive-through holiday light event, opens for its 22nd season on Thanksgiving night (November 27, 2014). Newport News Park will be transformed by over 800,000 individual lights, creating animated holiday and fanciful scenes. New for 2014 is the Lee Hall Depot Train Station display. The historic Lee Hall Depot was constructed in the 1880s as part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad’s efforts to establish its Atlantic terminus at Newport News, thereby linking the Ohio River Valley with the sea. Traditionally, the depot served the Yorktown, Lee Hall, and lower James City County communities and was the social and economic focal point of the village of Lee Hall that grew around the station. The City of Newport News is restoring the depot to preserve an entity important to the city’s development. The new Forest of Lights features nine new color-changing trees. The Peace Garden display area will “grow” with the additions of daffodils, tulips, daisies, a dragonfly, and a grasshopper. The event also continues to refurbish older displays with energy efficient LED bulbs. The event will be open each evening, 5:30 - 10:00 p.m., through New Year’s (January 1, 2015).
Over 300 individual display pieces (70 animated), 43 arches, and three miles of rope lighting enhance the natural beauty of the two-mile drive along Newport News Park’s main road. All new display pieces added since 2007 use LED lights which result in a savings of approximately 30% on electrical cost compared to incandescent bulbs and last 100,000 hours verses 3,000 hours for incandescent. Older (pre 2007) display pieces are being refitted with LED lights.
Hours and admission are: Sunday- Saturday 5:30 - 10:00 p.m., $10.00 per car and $60.00 per bus (cash, credit cards Visa/MC), and checks made payable to the City of Newport News are accepted; advance/gift tickets may be purchased at the Newport News Visitors Center). Newport News Park is located at the intersection of Ft. Eustis Blvd. and Jefferson Ave. in Newport News, VA. Directions: Eastbound I-64 use Exit 247 (Lee Hall), Westbound I-64 use Exit 250 B (Ft. Eustis). For more information, call (757) 926-1400.