Aurora Festival of Lights opens free holiday light display

The Aurora Festival of Lights - one of the largest free outdoor drive-through holiday light displays in Northern Illinois - opens for its 14th year on Friday, Nov. 27. It will feature even more dazzling displays that will delight both adults and children.

Presented in partnership between the Rotary Club of Aurora and the City of Aurora, this signature free winter event features more than one mile of spectacular lighted displays at Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive.

The annual event has new displays every year. Come see the new dancing arcs and the expanded ice rink. You will also enjoy Santa's Toy Factory, Old Man Winter, elves and reindeer, holiday trains, gigantic snowflakes, beautiful lighted swags on the fence line surrounding the zoo and other seasonal favorites.

Last year, they had more than 30,000 cars visit during the four-week event.

The Aurora Festival of Lights runs through Sunday, Dec. 27. Festival of Light hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Enter the park from Fifth Avenue and Smith Boulevard. Buses are welcome; clearance is 13 feet, 6 inches.

For safety reasons, there will be no volunteers collecting donations at the end of the route this year. Your donations are still greatly needed and gladly accepted!

Donate online at www.aurorafestivaloflights.com/donate/.

Follow www.facebook.com/aurorafestivaloflights16/.

The Rotary Club of Aurora, part of Rotary International, is a service club, now in its 97th year.

The Festival of Lights was conceived and executed in 2007 by members of the club and in partnership with the City of Aurora became a reality the very same year. To learn more about the club, visit www.aurorarotary.org.