Welcoming over 50,000 visitors annually, this ecumenical lighting and music festival is quite possibly the largest Christmas choral festival of its kind in the world. The Festival of Lights features 135 holiday music concerts performed in The Grotto's 600-seat chapel, known for its cathedral quality acoustics. Volunteers and staff begin working on the festival in early October installing lights, displays and entertainment areas. The finished presentation features nearly 250,000 lights, with narrated fiber-optic displays, animated displays and other dramatic depiction's of the story of the birth of Christ . The Grotto's Christmas Festival of Lights is a walk-through event.
Free parking is available.
While all entertainment areas are fully tented and all concerts are performed indoors, visitors and volunteers should dress for the weather, including warm rubber soled shoes. Nightly temperatures are typically in the mid- to upper forties during festival hours. The average visitor's stay lasts approximately 75 to 90 minutes. While the festival is fully accessible to those with disabilities, caution should be used regarding the appropriateness of this event for some individuals. Please realize that this is an outdoor winter event and pathways are dark and not entirely level.