SPRINGFIELD — Rockefeller Plaza in New York City may have their 73-foot-tall Christmas tree for all to see, but Bright Nights will also have its own magnificent glowing tree when it opens on Nov. 26 for its 31st season.
It’s not quite 73-feet-tall, and it isn’t a living tree, but it is as high as a five-story building and a technical feat of wizardry by designer John Catenaci, creative director at Carpenter Decorating Company in North Carolina, where he created all the displays for Bright Nights when it first opened in 1994.
The patterned lights on the tree change as “Jingle Bells,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Feliz Navidad,” and “Let it Snow” are played. When it is still, it glistens with 1,822 6-inch, 4-inch, and 3-inch metallic ornaments. And the star on top of the tree is four-feet tall.
“We have been making improvements at Santa’s Magical Forest over the past few years, but this year we’ve really gone big,” said Judith A. Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield, organizers of the annual event along with Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management. “The tree is enormous, simply beautiful, and it is going to be a real showstopper where people will want to take pictures. But that’s not all.”
Now, visitors will enter Santa’s Magical Forest through a sparkling green-and-gold chalet-inspired entryway, complete with a “Welcome” sign.
And there is still more, including a new home for Santa – a red and green cottage especially designed for his stay at Bright Nights at Forest Park by Skip’s Outdoor Accents. It even has a porch for guests to wait to see Santa.
Also new this season – another great spot for selfies and social media posts – is a touch of augmented reality from staff and students at Western New England University’s XR Lab. Visitors to Santa’s Magical Forest will be able to scan a QR code with their smartphone. Using the front camera, they will become one of Santa’s elves by virtually donning a red and green hat with falling snow in the background. By switching to the back camera, whoever is in focus will be transported to the North Pole.
Open through Jan. 4, Bright Nights since 1994 has welcomed more than seven million visitors who have traveled from near and far to ride through a three-mile winter wonderland of over 750,000 glowing and twinkling brightly colored LED lights decorating more than 400 individual displays.
Visitors, in the warmth of their cars, begin their Bright Nights journey welcomed by bouquets of oversized lit poinsettias and the American Flag highlighted by bursting fireworks of lights. They will travel on to the Winter Garden, the Garden of Peace (added after 9/11), and Victorian Village. Many of the displays celebrate Springfield including Seuss Land, Everett Barney Mansion, Toy Land, and Happy Holidays, Springfield, which features a replica of Springfield’s Municipal Group with Santa flying high above. In Winter Woods, holiday travelers are surrounded by leaping, grazing, and nestling deer. On the way to the North Pole Village where elves toss packages and snowballs, light seekers will pass through the Blizzard Tunnel with twinkling blue and white lights
While no stopping and getting out of your car is permitted along the colorful route, Santa’s Magical Forest in the only place where you are encouraged to do so.
Once through the gates to Santa’s Magical Forest, visitors can stop by Santa’s Cottage for a visit and to share their Christmas lists with him. Santa will be available every night through Christmas Eve. Visiting times are Sunday through Thursday from 5-9:30 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 5-10:30 p.m. Photo packages are available starting at $15. Personal photos with phones or other cameras are not permitted.
While in the gift shop, visitors can purchase all kinds of Bright Night’s mementoes and other holiday gifts.
A new children’s book specifically created for the Spirit of Springfield has also been introduced this year. Written by Michele Dufresne and illustrated by Max Stasiuk from his cellar in the Ukraine, “Poppy the Pony’s Bright Nights” revolves around a pony named Poppy, who had always wanted to see the lights at Bright Nights. One night when her gate was left open, Poppy sets off on an adventure where she gets lost, is rescued and finally gets to visit Bright Nights. The book costs $10 and there will also be a plush pony to accompany the book that costs $12, or $20 for both. Other books in the series and plush animals are also for sale.
Matt noted even before “Poppy” was completed, she had an idea for introducing the book at a special by-invitation-only opening ceremony for Bright Nights, with Santa helping to flip the switch to light the lights for another year.
“I was looking for a horse to have at our opening ceremony, where we would introduce the book. We found one at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. His name is Phinnegan and he is a mini-Pinto therapy horse that they bring to the jail for inmates. He’s going to steal the show,” Matt said.
A special book “signing” with the chance to meet Phinnegan will be offered on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at Santa’s Magical Forest.
Santa’s Magical Forest is also home to a variety of activities while visiting the gift shop or waiting to see Santa. There will be face painting on Dec. 8 and 15 from 6-9 p.m. and special meet and greets with favorite story characters including Spider Hero and Spider Heroine on Dec. 3, The Wayfinder and Enchanted Rose Princess on Dec. 10, and Snow Queen and Frost Princess on Dec. 17.
Many other activities and specialty nights lined up for this year include Public Safety Night on Dec. 3, Zoo Nights on Dec. 10 and 17, Supper with Santa on Dec. 6, 8 and 15, and horse-drawn wagon and carriage rides on various nights, which sell out quickly and require advance registration.
Santa’s Magical Forest will welcome special musical guests throughout the season, with choral groups performing from 6-7 p.m. including Western New England University on Dec. 4 with a time change to 5:30-6:30 p.m., Williams Middle School on Dec. 11, Wilbraham and Monson Academy – Vocal Point on Dec. 13, Minnechaug Regional High School on Dec 16, Springfield Symphony Chorus on Dec 18, and West Springfield High School on Dec. 19, with more expected to be announced.
One of Santa’s helpers will fill in for St. Nick for several hours at Santa’s Cottage while he appears at Forest Park’s Carriage House from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 7, 12 and 14 for Supper with Santa. The buffet supper of ziti marinara, chicken tenders, mac and cheese and more costs $30 per person, $15 for children under 12, and free for children under 2. Paid reservations, available at brightnights.org, receive one complimentary Bright Nights vehicle admission. If additional tickets are required for the reservation, they are available at $15 each plus a $2 ticket fee.
To commemorate their visit to Bright Nights, visitors can take a selfie with friends and family between two large, illuminated candy canes with a 2025 Bright Nights sign outside the gift shop.
Two concession stands, one inside Santa’s Magical Forest and another just outside of it, will offer some sweet treats as well as more hearty fare.
Inside Santa’s Magical Forest, Maureen’s Sweet Shoppe in East Longmeadow will offer s’mores, cotton candy, popcorn, kettle corn and hot cider. The other concession stand operated by Palazzo Café in downtown Springfield will have hamburgers and hot dogs, nachos and cheese, fried dough, and a variety of desserts and beverages.
Santa’s presence at Bright Nights includes more than his daily appearances at Santa’s Cottage and several opportunities to have supper with the jolly ol’ elf.
“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Santa loves music and has a collection of hundreds of Christmas CDs that he plays every day for Mrs. Claus and the elves at their home at the North Pole. Several years ago, Santa generously offered to put together the music you hear as you travel through Bright Nights on a radio station that we created in the park called WELF – Elf Radio,” Matt said.
When entering Bright Nights, don’t forget to tune into WELF – Elf Radio 100.7 FM to listen to Santa as the DJ as he plays holiday tunes sung by Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and others alongside today’s contemporary artists like Trisha Yearwood, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Cher, Pentatonix, The Beach Boys and many more.
Bright Nights at Forest Park will be open from Nov. 26 through January 4. It will be closed on Dec. 1 and 2 to make room for the annual Bright Nights Road Race. The lights will be lit nightly at 5 p.m. and glow through 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays that include Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
Tickets for Bright Nights at Forest Park must be purchased in advance. Each ticket is for a car, truck, or van with seating up to 16 passenger capacity. General admission tickets are $25 plus a $2 ticket fee. Big Y is offering tickets at a discounted rate of $20. On opening night, admission is rolled back to 1995 when a ticket was $6 per car. $12 Tuesdays, when admission is just $12 per car, will be on Dec. 9 and 16. Admission for limousines is $40 plus a $2 ticket fee. Minibuses with seating capacity of 17-30 passengers is $100, and buses with seating capacity for 31 or more passengers is $200.
A Bright Nights Loyalty Card is available by signing up at brightnights.org. The free card includes many amenities such as two free pairs of 3D glasses, one free child’s dinner at Supper with Santa with the purchase of an adult dinner, free small popcorn from Santa’s Magical Forest, free Bright Nights 2025 ornament at the gift shop and much more. It also includes a Bright Nights Coupon Book featuring discounts at area restaurants, attractions, and many other benefits.
Bright Nights at Forest Park is supported by American Medical Response, Balise, Baystate Health, Big Y, Charlie Arment Trucking, Comcast, Eversource Energy, Health New England, iHeart Media, Liberty Bank, MassLive, MassMutual, MGM Springfield, MP CPAs, PeoplesBank, Sarat Ford, Sheraton Springfield, Siemens, Springfield Thunderbirds, The Republican, WWLP-22 News, Yankee Candle Village, Yellowstone Landscape, and a team of volunteers lending their expertise to keep the park glowing.
Before venturing out to visit Bright Nights at Forest Park, you can check brightnights.org/live-webcams to see how the traffic is flowing and to see all the activity at the gift shop area.
For more information, visit brightnights.org.
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