ESTEVAN – The Festival of Lights at Woodlawn Regional Park delighted visitors once again from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1.
According to park business manager Maureen Daoust, the event was a resounding success, attracting dozens of participants and thousands of guests. Even though some days were extremely cold, the park was a busy place during the holiday season.
"Festival of Lights was another success for us in 2024," Daoust said. "We had a high number of participants. We had a few more than we had last year."
While the park doesn't track exact visitor numbers, Daoust explained the crowds were steady throughout the festival.
"Every time we went down, there were people. There were a couple of cold days when there were fewer people, but our maintenance guy was able to keep the roads open, and it worked out fine," she noted.
The Festival of Lights featured a range of illuminated displays, many of which had been updated or entirely reimagined by participants.
"People are always trying to change it up or try to make it better," Daoust said, adding that the park contributed its own updates, such as new Christmas flags at the entrance and an FM transmitter playing holiday music and greetings from local businesses.
Volunteers who helped run the festival played an important role in its success.
The festival also engaged the community through interactive activities, including a couple of contests.
"We ran a couple of different contests … so someone won a week of free camping, and someone won a couple of kayak/canoe/paddleboat rentals," Daoust said.
While the event was free to attend, public donations were encouraged to support the park's non-profit operations.
As the lights dimmed on this year's festival, Daoust expressed gratitude to all donors and sponsors and praised the dedication of volunteers who made the event possible.
"We appreciate everyone coming down and supporting us and offering donations, and of course, thank you to all of our sponsors too. And the volunteers that help during the festival are awesome."
