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Merry & Bright Christmas, a brilliantly illuminated holiday wonderland at Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, starts tonight at 6 p.m. It will run mostly Thursday-Sunday through December.
CELINA - Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it's officially Christmas season, and organizations in both Mercer and Auglaize counties have assembled holiday-themed light-show spectaculars.
The events in Coldwater, Celina and Wapakoneta afford families and friends exciting, wholesome experiences sure to dazzle the senses, evoke the holiday spirit and spark memories of Christmases from long ago.
Three of the local events are listed along with 70 other stops on ToursimOhio's 2024 Ohio Holiday Lights Trail: Merry & Bright Christmas at the Mercer County Fairgrounds, Holiday Lights Display at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, and Gift of Light at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.
"If you're looking to experience the magic of the season with the best light displays in the state, the Holiday Lights Trail is a great place to start," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a statement. "Following the trail gives families the opportunity to bundle up and explore some of the most enchanting holiday experiences in the heart of it all."
Nearly all the displays on the holiday lights tour have over 100,000 lights, with many exceeding one million, according to a state news release.
The local holiday extravaganzas will be open on multiple dates, starting tonight and running through December.
Merry & Bright Christmas, a brilliantly illuminated holiday wonderland at Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina, starts tonight at 6 p.m. It will run mostly Thursday-Sunday through December.
What started out as a way to offset losses suffered from pandemic-related restrictions has morphed into an annual event at the Mercer County Fairgrounds in Celina. Merry and Bright Christmas Lights presented by Mercer Health gets underway tonight.
"I think we will keep this as an ongoing tradition," said fair manager Cara Muhlenkamp a few years ago. "Like the fair, the families, they look forward to it and they want to come out and they want to create memories not only with their kids but with their grandkids and keep that tradition building."
Vehicles will make their way through a holiday wonderland brilliantly illuminated by a bevy of carefully planned Christmas lights and displays, including the North Pole, Toy Land, Candy Land, Grand Nativity, Cowboy Christmas and two tunnels of lights.
Muhlenkamp said fair board members, officials and dozens of volunteers put in countless hours planning and piecing together the Christmas wonderland.
"It is very much an orchestrated event and it takes us about a month to get everything set in place and ready to go," Muhlenkamp had noted.
Special events are planned during this year's Merry & Bright Christmas run. Santa will make appearances on Dec. 1, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15 and 21. Mrs. Claus will lead up to 50 people in decorating cookies from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 19.
At 7 p.m. Dec. 20 in the Junior Fair Building, people will have the chance to make reindeer food to sprinkle on Christmas Eve. Other special events include a live nativity from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 20-21 and a night of giving Dec. 13 featuring a free night of family fun and collection of donations for Mercer County Lots for Soldiers.
Merry & Bright Christmas is open 6-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 24. Cost is $10 per vehicle Thursday and Sunday and $15 per vehicle Friday and Saturday. All oversize vehicles are $25 each day.
It is also open Dec 23-24, per the online schedule.
Visit mercercountyohiofair.com/christmas-lights or the fair's Facebook page for a more detailed schedule of planned events.
Gift of Lights at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds in Wapakoneta, sponsored by Apple Farm Service and Grand Lake Health System, began Wednesday, boasting a plethora of stunning displays across a 1.1 mile drive.
"Over a mile of twists and turns in the fairgrounds leads you through a magical journey with over 150 separate displays. Pack your hot cocoa in your thermos and liven up your Christmas spirit," reads a news release from OhioTraveler.com.
Hours are 6-9 p.m. Dec. 1, Dec. 5 and Dec. 8, as well as Sunday through Thursday from Dec. 12-31; plus 6-10 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and Fridays and Saturdays from Dec. 12-31. The event is closed Christmas Day. The cost varies from $10 to $15 a carload based on the date.
Worship Anyway, a community of Christians who desire to see local communities revived, will hold an event at 7 p.m Dec. 6 in the Piehl Arena.
For more information visit auglaizecountyfair.org/gift-of-lights-at-the-auglaize-county-fairgrounds-sponsored-by-grand-lake-health-system or the fair's Facebook page.
Christmas at Memorial Park in Coldwater, a free community event initiated by Coldwater Kiwanis in 2021 to spread Christmas cheer, will be staged Dec. 6-8 in the same area as the annual Coldwater Community Picnic.
Christmas at Memorial Park in Coldwater, a free, community event initiated by Coldwater Kiwanis in 2021 to spread Christmas cheer, will be staged Dec. 6-8 in the same area as the annual Coldwater Community Picnic.
Also, Santa Claus will take Christmas present requests from boys and girls from 2-5 p.m. Dec. 15 and Dec. 22 at the park gazebo.
Volunteers transform the park area into a twinkling, winter wonderland with Christmas lights and decorations. The light show will go on every night through Christmas starting on Dec. 6. Visitors are welcome to walk through the park during the day and evening.
Next weekend's three-day event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 with the Christmas Parade around the park - look for walkers, carolers, tractors, golf carts, bicycles, lawn mowers and other entries all featuring Christmas lights.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries.
Then, the the park will be lit up, with Christmas characters sauntering about, an appearance by Santa, and cookies and hot chocolate for revelers.
The Christmas cheer picks up again 2-5 p.m. Dec. 7 with walking Christmas characters, cookies and hot cocoa, a train ride with book distribution, children's sing-along and an encore appearance by Santa.
From 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 8, the public can enjoy carriage rides, pony rides, an ice skating rink, a juggler, cookies and hot cocoa, walking Christmas characters and Santa.
For more information, visit the Christmas at Memorial Park Facebook page.
Carrying on what has become a community tradition, Celina Insurance Group sets aglow its 90,000-square-foot headquarters on Walnut Street at 1 Insurance Square in Celina.
Starting tonight, a breathtaking light show synchronized to music will commence at 5:30 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. every night through the Christmas season. On any given night, multiple vehicles can be seen parked across the street taking in the sights and sounds of Christmas.
Also kicking off tonight, the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta welcomes the holiday season by lighting up its grounds with a vast array of festive and colorful lights.
Known as the Holiday Lights Display, the overall exhibition contains several aviation and space-themed displays made from tens of thousands of LED bulbs, according to the museum's webpage.
Among the prominent displays are a 20-foot-tall Saturn V rocket and a giant Apollo-era astronaut saluting the American flag.
The average guest takes about 15 to 45 minutes to view the light displays, which are viewable nightly after dusk through Jan. 1, according to the museum's website.
Organizers said the museum closes at 5 p.m. and is usually not open when the lights are on. The entire experience is outside so visitors should dress accordingly.
For more information, visit armstrongmuseum.org/holiday-lights.
A total of 73 sites are listed on ToursimOhio's 2024 Ohio Holiday Lights Trail.
"Ohio's Holiday Lights Trail is a twinkling treasure hunt full of festive surprises that light up the season in unexpected ways," said Sarah Wickham, Ohio state tourism director, in a statement. "It's the perfect way for Ohioans and visitors to experience our state's holiday spirit and make spirits bright, one sparkling light at a time."
In addition, to the three local sites, other regional destinations on the list are,
• 4-H Exchange Club Holiday Light Show at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds in Van Wert through Dec. 25.
• Mercy Health Bright Nights at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima starting Saturday and running through December.
• Lake of Lights at 13344 State Route 67 West, Kenton from tonight through December.
• Downtown Sidney Winter Wonderful in Sidney through New Year's Day.
• Holiday Lights at Lost Creek Reserve in Troy, Saturday through the end of December.
To check out other stops on the trail, visit ohio.org/home/seasons/holidays/ohio-holiday-lights-trail.
