Night of Lights OC winter drive-thru sets new event dates

Winter Fest OC’s Night of Lights OC, a winter-themed drive-thru experience, has announced that it will carry on with plans to operate at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa this year, with a few changes in order to meet all government guidelines.

The previously-postponed event will now run from Dec. 10, 2020 through Jan. 10, 2021, excluding Christmas Eve, with sessions ending at 9:30 p.m. nightly.

While experiencing the drive-thru, guests will see more than 1,000,000 lights from the safety of their cars as they travel along a mile-long route featuring holiday scenery, special effects, and animated light shows and tunnels synchronized to music through a car radio or smartphone.

“We are thrilled to see Night of Lights OC continue its drive-thru holiday light show and bring a safe, family-friendly event to the Orange County community,” said Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley. “During these tough times for everyone, Night of Lights OC is not only spreading holiday joy, but also providing employment opportunities for hundreds of individuals.”

“While we originally announced a postponement of Night of Lights OC to 2021 due to Governor Newsom’s limited stay-at-home order, we are excited to share that over the past few days we have diligently worked with Mayor Foley, the OC Health Care Agency and the OC Fair & Event Center to bring the event back with modifications and provide a safe activity for families to celebrate the holiday season,” said Katrina Carlson, executive producer of Night of Lights OC. “A huge thank you to everyone involved and the outpouring of support we have received. We couldn’t put this event on and continue to bring holiday magic to Orange County without the support of the local community and its leaders.”

Entry to the event is available through online ticket purchases. The event will begin at 5 p.m. each evening with sessions available until 9:30 p.m. Limited reservations are available per time session and guests are encouraged to buy in advance.

Early Bird general admission starts at $39.99 per vehicle (up to five people) on select nights. Larger vehicle tickets (six to nine people) start at $59.99 on select nights. Vehicle height is limited to 8 feet or less, due to the light tunnels. Pricing will increase after Early Bird tickets have sold out.

Guests can pre-order holiday treats to enjoy during the drive-thru when purchasing tickets online. Offerings include hot cocoa, cinnamon sugar donuts, and Mom’s Bake Shoppe cookie buckets and brownies, tamales, Holiday ‘Family 4 Pack’ meals, and more. Food is available to order online by 10 a.m. on the date of admission and will be available to pick up prior to entering the drive-thru experience.

Every Monday night during the event’s run, Night of Lights OC will honor local heroes with a $5 off coupon for teachers, military personnel, law enforcement, medical workers, and firefighters. You can check out the schedule below:

• Dec. 14 – Salute to Teachers: Eligible guests can use the code “TEACH” and bring their relevant teacher ID for onsite verification.
• Dec. 21 – Salute to Military and Law Enforcement: Eligible guests can use the code “SERVICE” and bring their relevant military or law enforcement ID for onsite verification.
• Dec. 28 – Salute to Medical Workers: Eligible guests can use the code “FIRSTAID” and bring their relevant medical ID for onsite verification.

To learn more, head to NightOfLightsOC.com.