Bright Nights at Forest Park has opened for its 27th season. The lights are lit from November 24 to January 2. Bright Nights began in 1995, and since then has been a big tradition for Western Mass families. The City of Springfield’s Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management have put this together year after year. In total, more than 6 million visitors have been to Bright Nights. 

On the Bright Nights website it states, “It has been calculated that if every bus that had visited were lined bumper to bumper, they would go from Springfield to Cape Cod. The cars would go as far as California, ” which is an extremely long distance! Over the years, Bright Nights has included extra festive activities to make the holiday season more memorable. During the first week of opening, a 5k race is held in which you run through the lights at night. They also hold performances for local high school choirs to perform Christmas Carols. A big event this year was the Suppers with Santa. People were able to eat a meal with Santa by purchasing a ticket.

Isabella Murphy was interviewed about her experiences at Bright Nights in Springfield. She says it’s been a “yearly tradition to go see the lights with my family from Boston.” Isabella says she has gone to Bright Nights for 10 years in a row! Her father, Sebastian Murphy is an avid marathon runner and has been able to make the Bright Nights Road Race 5k a yearly race. He says, “It is a very exciting race because I get to see the lights and really enjoy my run instead of focusing on my time.” I asked about the “No headphone policy” on the website. Murphy says, “They blast holiday music, so there’s really no need for headphones! It is a great change of pace and I will continue to run in it every year I can!” 

Bright Nights is the perfect way to create a holiday memory to cherish for many years. It can become a tradition that you and your family and friends can look forward to. If you are interested in seeing the bright lights at Bright Nights, it is located at 300 Sumner Avenue in Springfield, Ma 01108. You can purchase a ticket in advance online or at your local Big Y World Class Market.