Anderson Christmas Lights Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson Christmas Lights, one of the largest and most visited holiday light shows in the state, is celebrating 30 years with an expanded Christmas Village, more music and additions to the lights display (including a giant Clemson Tiger Paw).
What began as the Lights of Hope as an Easter Seals fundraiser, the holiday tradition almost went dark in 2003 when Easter Seals closed the Anderson office. Co-Founders Dennis Lavold and Ben Phillips agreed not to let the holiday lights go out Anderson and saved the organization with their own funding and efforts when sponsorships fell short.
As it grew into a larger non-profit organization, changes came, including the move in 2015 to the county-owned Whitehall Park near the Anderson Civic Center. The new location provided better potential infrastructure and room to grow. Phillips and Lavold installed 8.5 miles of underground electric cable, a cost of $180,000 out of their own pockets, and improved the park with more displays and an expansive Santa’s Village which added the Veteran’s Stage in 2017 to allow for entertainment and music.
Today the holiday venue attracts 40,000 visitors every season to drive through the displays which feature more than millions of lights and annually updated and expanded displays.