Last night I had the opportunity to sneak preview the second First Coast Winter Lights festival at Clay Port in Green Cove Spirngs.

 WOW!

This year's Christmas spectacular is larger and brighter than last year's.  The new owners of the event, Ronnie and Lillian Munsey (Ronnie's Wings and Oysters fame), added many new light displays (25% more by my count), improved Santa's Village, and this year's ice skating rink is heads and shoulders above any that I have seen in comparable light shows in the United States.  This year the ice-skating rink is covered by a festive looking tent, with disco-light reflectors, and better safety devices that are seasonally decorated.  The ice is chilled by a ultra-quiet, and economically efficient 200-ton chiller. This system works.  The ice is great.

This has the makings to be a better family holiday event than last year's festival, which attracted over 16,000 families.  This year's festival opens tonight and runs through the end of December.  On tap at this year's Winter Lights, besides the best Christmas light display in Florida and a great ice-skating rink, are games and play areas for the kids, unique gift shopping, great food and snacks, a marshmellow roasting area, and Santa Claus.  The reason for the season is not forgotten in the Munsey's efforts.  Many of the Christmas lights celebrate the birth of Jesus, and an enormous display on the front of Santa's Village reminds us that "Jesus is the Reason".

I've had the pleasure to watch this event begin in it's infancy.  Two years ago, Mr. Joe Hapi proposed such an event to the Green Cove Springs City Council.  That makes Joe the Father of the First Coast Winter Lights.  The event did not happen that year because of the recognition that the event requires enormous logistic considerations.  Nonetheless, Joe and I jumped on an airplane in December 2005 and took a field trip to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to reconnoiter existing events near Allenwood, NJ, Hersey, PA, and Reading, PA.  It was a really cold trip.  When we landed in Newark, we rented a car.  The guy at the rental car company gave us an option to upgrade to a vehicle with a sun roof, which I thought was a really stupid idea at the time.  However, as we drove through four different light shows in two nights, we figured out a use for the sun roof--I could stand up on the passenger seat, with my camera and tripod set on the top of the car and take great pictures of the light display while the car's heater kept my feet warm.

But, I digress.  The point is we saw some pretty good light displays and family events.  Joe carried these ideas back to Florida and duplicated the concept.   Ronnie and Lillian have taken the event to a new level that is equal to the shows in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The cost is $20 per vehicle.  The vehicle trip through the light show takes about 20 minutes or longer depending on how fast you drive.  You can spend alot of time enjoying Santa's Village.  Parking appears to be ample and is free.   Concessions are extra. 

This year's First Coast Winter Lights show is worth visiting with your family this holiday season.