November 18, 2021 3:45 a.m.
Tickets are now on sale for the 29th season of the Roseburg Rotary Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights, which begins Sunday night.
Event chair Brian Prawitz said the Festival of Lights has become one of the most recognizable and beloved events in Douglas County.
Started in 1993, the festival continues to feature more than a half-million lights and over 90 displays at River Forks Park, west of Roseburg.
Prawitz said for the first time ever, it will happen without the guidance of founder Kerwin Doughton, who passed away last January. Prawitz said Doughton will still have a place in the traditional attraction he loved so much. He said, “With an incredible team from Con-Vey dedicating their time and talent, we are unveiling a lighted tribute to Kerwin this year”. Prawitz said even though he is no longer with us, Doughton will remain a “…larger-than-life presence at the Festival of Lights with this display”.
A caricature of Doughton and the World’s Largest Nutcracker will welcome visitors as they enter the park. Doughton’s smiling face is 6 feet tall with his treasured Nutcracker display standing nearby, towering 12 feet above the ground. Between them is a sign reminding every passer-by that Doughton is the “Father of the Festival of Lights”.
A release said while the drive-through portion of the festival remains open, a few elements have been postponed again this year due to COVID restrictions, including the Holiday Village, wagon rides, and the popular Nutcracker Ballet.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.uvfestivaloflights.com. Scanners at the entrance to the drive through will confirm the purchase and allow entry. Tickets are $10 per car, either through the website or at the gate. The display will be open nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. It will stay open until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Several special nights are on the schedule for 2021, allowing free admission for the customers of sponsoring businesses. The entire list is at: www.uvfestivaloflights.com
Proceeds from the Festival of Lights go to Rotary Scholarships and other Rotary sponsored programs.