This holiday season the City of Windsor is hosting the fifth annual Bright Lights Windsor Festival, bigger, brighter and more awe inspiring than ever before, at Jackson Park from December 2, 2021 to January 16, 2022.

Bright Lights Windsor has been extended, originally set to close Jan. 9, the event has been extended through Jan. 16

Here are a few highlights of what’s in store for this year’s festival:

Following this year’s theme, “Walking in a Windsor Wonderland,” the event pathway will guide you through a series of festive and seasonally themed displays: Wish Upon a Star, Winter Wonderland, Candy Cane Lane, Santa’s Stable, Peace & Love Around the World, and W.E. the North. Opportunities to be wowed at every turn and excellent settings for the perfect picture – including some fun new selfie stations – will be abundant.

The WE Made It: Holiday Market returns, sponsored by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island in partnership with the Urban Art Market, Rose City Etsy Team and WindsorEats. The full holiday market will be open Fridays and Saturdays, with a partial market for food and beverages operating during the week. Along with the market, several excellent local food and beverage options will be available.

Sensory friendly “Silent Nights” are offered on Tuesday evenings. The lights will be on, but sound will be muted and strobe elements paused so the display can be enjoyed in a peaceful environment that is accommodating to sensory sensitivities.

A number of gracious partners and sponsors are helping to make this year’s event possible, including Tim Hortons, University of Windsor, Libro Credit Union, WindsorEssex Community Foundation, St. Clair College, WFCU Credit Union, AM800 CKLW, CTV, windsoriteDOTca, YourTV, Windsor Star, Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, and Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island.

Sparking Windsor’s well-known charitable spirit will be a priority again this year, and the city will be hosting a number local charities, including Operation Keep Windsor Warm, Windsor Essex Care for Kids Foundation (W.E. Care for Kids), UHC – Hub of Opportunities, and The Salvation Army.

New this year, organizers have partnered with Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Foundation to launch The “YQG Hearts for Hope” campaign. This exciting display will include four magnetic walls that will be placed near the word HOPE under a large tent. Guests will be able to purchase a heart for a $5 donation, decorate it with a message of hope, and display it on the wall. These walls will be placed in our local hospitals for staff to see when this year’s event concludes. Funds raised from the campaign will benefit Transition to Betterness, UHC – Hub of Opportunities, and The Salvation Army. Practicing safety first, organizers will be using a new contactless device to collect donations on site.

Bright Lights Windsor Opening Ceremonies

Opening ceremonies take place this year at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 2.
Enjoy the elegant ceremonial lighting of the 64-foot tree in the Queen Elizabeth II Sunken Gardens.

The event runs every night from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. until January 16, 2022.

This is a free, family-friendly festival.

Where Can You Find Parking?

While the main Jackson Park entrance and parking lot (off Tecumseh Road East) will be closed to facilitate event activities, there will be several parking options nearby for Bright Lights Windsor, all within a few minutes’ walk:

Kennedy Collegiate, 245 Tecumseh Road East:

This primary parking location is offered thanks to Kennedy Collegiate and can be accessed from McDougall Street. A limited number of accessible permit parking spots are available at the south end.

Near Parkside Tennis and Windsor Lawn Bowling

A limited number of accessible permit parking spots are available.
Bright Lights displays extend right to the entrance from this parking lot.
Accessible via McDougall through Parks Yard or Dougall Avenue.
A limited number of accessible permit parking spots are available.

Additional Parking

Parks & Recreation Field House, 2365 McDougall Street
Parks & Recreation Main Office, 2450 McDougall Street

Entrances (see red dots on map)

Tecumseh and Ouellette
Tecumseh Road
McDougall near Kennedy Collegiate
Memorial Drive Parking Lot (near Parkside Tennis and Windsor Lawn Bowling)

Bus Access

Transit Windsor’s Transway 1C and 1A bus routes make stops near Jackson Park in both directions along Tecumseh Road East.

Bright Lights Windsor 2021, COVID-19 Safety Precautions

Enhanced measures are subject to change but will include the following:
Directional signage to manage the one-way flow of people;
Properly spaced attractions to avoid traffic jams and gatherings;
WE Made It: Holiday Market to have increased spacing between vendors to allow for physical distancing; and
Masks required to be worn when physical distancing of two metres is not possible.

To learn more about Bright Lights Windsor, including a detailed schedule and information on how to become a volunteer, call 311 or visit www.BrightLightsWindsor.ca

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A family takes advantage of a photo opportunity during Bright Lights Windsor opening ceremonies at Jackson Park in Windsor, ON, Thurs. Dec. 2, 2022. Photo by Eric Bonnici / Eyes On Windsor.