Holiday lights sparkle

Published 8:34 pm Thursday, November 22, 2007

STANWOOD — The Lights of Christmas opens Thursday at Warm Beach Christian Camps &Conference Center near Stanwood. The annual light display draws visitors from all over the world.

In addition to lights, the event features a nativity scene, live music, crafts, pony rides, a petting farm, draft horse wagon rides and Polar Express train rides.

The show is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 30.

Tickets are $12 for adults, ages 13 to 59; $8 for seniors and military personnel; $7 for kids 4 to 12; and free for kids 3 and under.

For more information, call 800-228-6724.

By the numbers

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the Lights of Christmas:

People from 6 continents have visited the display. No one from Antarctica has come.

For 20 days, the Lights of Christmas is open.

80 days are spent setting up the display. Set-up begins the end of August and takes until opening night.

475 kilowatts of electricity are used to power the display.

2,400 volunteers work the event.

7,062 miles is the farthest anyone has traveled to see the Lights of Christmas. The visitor was from New Zealand.

18,000 light strands are used in the display — enough to stretch from Warm Beach to the Seattle Convention Center.

31,500 lights are used on the popular Bill Burr tree.

45,000 people visit the display each year.

75,000 zip ties are used in decorating.

At least 1,200,000 light bulbs are used in the Lights of Christmas.

Source: Warm Beach Christian Camps &Conference Center