Luminance keeps growing

Spotlight: City’s investment in event continues paying off

By City Source

Every year, thousands of visitors converge upon Mitch Park in Edmond to enjoy Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll – the largest 3D walk-through holiday light display in Oklahoma.

With more than 30 unique light displays and special events like the official tree lighting celebration on opening night, as well as an outdoor iceskating rink, food trucks and the always popular Merry Marketplace, it’s no wonder that now more than 80,000 visit during the 6-week outdoor event.

But it wasn’t very long ago that Luminance looked very, very different.

“We had a ‘preview’ in 2017 – and we just had two displays,” said Casey Moore, Director of Management Services for the City of Edmond and part of the founding group who conceived of the Luminance event we know today. “We looked around and knew we had to do more, and we were fortunate enough to have some partners from the community step up and help make that happen.”

Thanks to support from founding sponsors the Edmond Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Economic Development Authority and Mitch Park YMCA, the “official” opening in 2018 looked much different – though still a shadow of the spectacular six-week event of today.

The 2025 opening celebration for Luminance –the annual free, walk-thru holiday light display – is Friday, Nov. 21, with opening ceremonies beginning at 4 p.m. at Mitch Park near the baseball fields on the east side of the YMCA. Merry Marketplace will be open, and at the stage back near the Christmas tree, members of the Edmond Children’s Choir & Oklahoma Youth Arts will entertain visitors before the official lighting ceremony, which will start at 5:15 p.m. The traditional lighting of the tree is set for 5:45 p.m., followed by photos with Santa from 6 to 8 p.m. In between, at 6:45 p.m., Dynamic Skies will present its now annual drone light show.

Powered by Edmond Electric and this year’s presenting sponsor Edmond Parks and Recreation, Luminance is open to the public through January 1, with the lights displays lit up 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Residents and visitors experience a one-of-a-

kind holiday lighting celebration with large, colorful displays and lighting on the trees, pathways, and pavilions in the park. Edmond is the premier city to provide 3D lighted displays and visitors are sure to see something they’ve never seen before.

“We are grateful to this year’s Presenting Sponsor, Edmond Parks and Recreation, for bringing 2 new displays to Luminance in 2025,” said Emily Harmon, the Parks and Recreation Marketing Coordinator. “The new displays will add an interactive element to the event, with one being an Ornament chair and the other being a Gift Box chair.”

But it took some help to get there.

“Edmond Electric hosted the Parade of Lights for years,” said Glenn Fisher, the Director of Edmond Electric. “It started to be a struggle to find people willing to participate in this one-night event. Also, the unpredictable weather made a one-night event a gamble. After cancelling in 2016, we decided to look at other events for Edmond to bring something of more substance. Our goal was to have something that was a true community event and was unique to Edmond.”

“Edmond Electric was looking for an alternative – something that would bring the community to-

gether to celebrate the holidays and help bring people into town,” said Sherry Jordan, the President & CEO of the Edmond Chamber, which gave $35,000 for one of the first major displays when plans for Luminance began to grow in 2018. “Edmond Electric’s team came up with the concept and was gracious enough to fund the bulk of it to get it started. We saw it as a great way to bring something special to Edmond and a great way to get people into town and see what Edmond has to offer – and maybe a great way to get them to stay to go get something to eat at a local restaurant or shop at a local store.”

The event has grown steadily over the few years since that 2018 official unveiling – which featured 20 displays and special events. By 2020, Luminance featured more than 30 light displays and an estimated 72,000 visited over its six-week run.

“I think it grew so quickly because it’s so accessible,” Jordan said. “It’s outside. It’s free and family friendly and interactive. And, as more programming was added, it provided something for everyone – thanks, in large part, to the City and community’s continued investment in the event.”

A big part of the appeal is the personal touch the event provides. Families can stroll among the brightly lit displays, and with the ice-skating rink and special events like Merry Marketplace and the food trucks on some nights, the experience is interactive and intimate.

“It’s a much more intimate experience than seeing lights from a car as you drive by,” said Jennifer Thornton, the Tourism Director for Visit Edmond, which invested $15,000 in a “Blue Hippo” light display to help promote Route 66 and its vital ties to Edmond. “It’s healthier and more engaging, and there are more displays and more programming every year.”

Returning to Luminance this year, visitors can shop at Merry Marketplace, which is open 4 to 8 p.m. on the Nov. 21 opening night. A second Merry Marketplace is scheduled for Dec. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m., along with visit from Santa for photos. And a new feature on Dec. 13 – Merry Movie Night, which will feature the films “Frozen” at 5:30 p.m. and “A

Christmas Story” at 7:30 p.m. The movies will be shown on a large movie screen on the ball fields near Merry Market Place.

“Over the years, Luminance has grown to include the popular Merry Marketplace vendor pop ups, food trucks, face painters, crafts, and a drone show,” Harmon said. “Parks and Recreation is excited to bring Luminance into the Multi Activity Center with the new Merry Market Morning program. On Saturday, December 6, Mrs. Claus will be decorating cookies with kids! Registration for this event is now open at www.edmondparks.com. Cost is $15 per child.

“It is truly an honor to be a part of Luminance and continue to bring this amazing gift to the community and park visitors for the holiday season.”

All of which means Luminance can only get brighter.

Learn more about Luminance at EdmondLights.com.

Learn more about what’s happening around the City at www.edmondok.gov/CitySource.