Palm Coast –For the 18th consecutive year, Central Park at Town Center will be transformed into a winter wonderland this holiday season with the return of the Fantasy Lights Festival presented by the Rotary Club of Flagler County. The event series, which includes 55 light displays along the corridor of Central Park nightly, a Santa’s Village train ride for kids, and well as various entertainment and food options on select nights throughout the duration of its 35-day residency, has become a tradition for the City of Palm Coast and a destination for locals and visitors alike each year as the scope continues to grow in step with the community.
But like other events of its kind, the Fantasy Lights at Central Park started with humble beginnings as the brainchild of Bill Butler, a now-retired former Landscape Architect with the City of Palm Coast, and Rotary Club of Flagler County member of 20 years. The inspiration behind the idea belongs to Butler’s daughter Tiffany, who at 10 years old, expressed her joy of visiting a light display while on a family vacation in 1997 to their hometown of Evansville, Indiana and wondered if such a display would be possible to be held in what was, at the time, a much smaller municipality of Palm Coast. 5 years later in 2002, Tiffany died of a heart condition, but her vision would remain very much instilled in the heart of her father, who would suggest the idea to the Rotary Club as a potential fundraiser and was granted the opportunity to do so starting in 2006. In its first outing, the event saw 16 display sponsors and has continued to grow ever since in scope, volunteers and visitors.
“I couldn’t do this without my club’s support and the community’s support” Butler said. Anytime you’re the member of a club or organization and you want to donate or help, you have to find your passion and this is my passion.”
Learn more about the origin of the Fantasy Lights Festival here: https://youtu.be/z9Sz6nqXUJs
The Fantasy Lights Festival for 2023 will kick off on the evening of November 25 in tandem with the City of Palm Coast’s tree lighting ceremony where “snow” is on the forecast. Opening night will also include a Taste of the Holidays, which will include several food trucks serving up eats and seasonal treats as well as a visit from Santa. The festival will be open nightly from 6:30-9pm through December 30 All events are free, though donations are welcome with all proceeds going to a number of different charities through the Rotary Club of Flagler County. To find out more about participating as a volunteer or sponsor, visit https://www.flaglerrotary.org/fantasylights.php
The full special events schedule for the festival is as follows:
November 25 – Opening Night, Taste of the Holidays, Sponsor Appreciation Night, City Tree Lighting and Santa Arrival, Snow and Train Night, Performance by Kevin Quinn
November 26 – Santa Sunday, Snow and Train Night
December 1 – Snow and Train Night, Performance by Belle Terre Elementary Choir
December 2 – City of Palm Coast Holiday Marketplace with Santa, Snow and Train Night, Performance by Veronica Scott
December 3 – Snow and Train Night, Santa Sunday, Performance by Kevin Quinn
December 6 – Performance by SEAS School Choir
December 8 – Granny Nannies Night, Snow and Train Night
December 9 – Snow and Train Night
December 10 – AdventHealth Night, Snow and Train Night, Santa Sunday
December 12 – Performances by the Palm Coast Band and Palm Coast Big Band
December 13 – Seagate Homes Night
December 15 – Flagler Free Clinic Night, Snow Night, Performance by Free Clinic Soloist
December 16 – Snow Night, Performance by Planet E Studio
December 17 – Snow Night, Santa Sunday (Last night for Santa!), Performance by Kevin Quinn
December 22 – Snow Night
December 23 – Snow Night
December 29 – Snow Night
December 30 – Last Night of Event, Snow Night
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