Delco's Festival Of Lights Begins Friday

Delaware County's 2016 Festival of Lights is set to begin Friday night and will feature a visit from Old Saint Nick himself to help get the festival going.

At 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Rose Tree Park , 1671 N. Providence Road, Media, the Festival of Lights opening ceremony will take place and Santa Claus will be there to usher in this year's festival.

The ceremony will feature holiday music by the E.T. Richardson Bella Voce Choral Ensemble, the official tree lighting, and the arrival of Santa Claus.

The Festival of Lights is a local tradition that began in 1976 as part of festivities planned to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial, the county said in a press release.

The festival has grown from 50 lighted trees – one for each municipality and one large one to represent the county – to 75 decorated trees strung with 100,000 holiday lights, and dozens of hand-painted wooden figures, including toy soldiers, a snowman family and a replica of the Delaware County Courthouse.

The Festival of Lights runs nightly, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., from Dec. 2 to Jan. 1. Admission is free.

Patch file photo