Fantasy of Lights goes walk-through only this year and shrinks to four December nights

The county-run Fantasy of Lights holiday display at Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos will be a walk-through event only this year, open just four nights in December, Santa Clara County confirmed to NBC Bay Area.

The display has run since 1999 and for most of its history was a drive-through, with families touring the 1.5-mile route by car. In recent years the county added a few walking nights. This year there will be no drive-through nights at all.

The four dates are:

• Saturday, Dec. 5
• Sunday, Dec. 6
• Saturday, Dec. 12
• Sunday, Dec. 13

Hours each night are 4 to 9 p.m. In past years the event ran several walk-only nights followed by more than two weeks of drive-through nights.

Costs behind the change

"We did not make this decision lightly," Audrey Ann Díaz, acting senior communications officer for the county, told the station. "Like many beloved community traditions, Fantasy of Lights has faced rising operational costs over the years."

Díaz said earlier walk-through nights had been very popular, with a drone show, live entertainment and more food options.

How tickets work

Pricing moves from a per-car charge to a per-person ticket. Tickets are $25 for ages 13 and up and $10 for ages 4 to 12; children 3 and under are free. All tickets must be bought in advance, according to the report.

Sources

nbcbayarea.com