2 million lights shine at Kennywood holiday attraction
Kennywood Park visitors will immediately see the lights — tunnel of brightly colored, pulsating LED bulbs.
There are 15,000 strung on three miles of aircraft cable at the West Mifflin amusement park. They shine like a prism and can be configured in 9,000 ways via a computer program.
It’s the bold entrance to Kennywood’s Holiday Lights, which opens Friday. The first evening will include fireworks at 9 p.m. and the arrival of Santa Claus on a fire truck, which will take him for a ride and drop him off near the Racer rollercoaster.
The light show takes several weeks for electrician Terry Hill and his team to install. The lights are checked each week to look for burned-out bulbs.
Hill reverses the lights toward the end of the night for guests on their way out. Festive music will be playing in the background.
“The lights look like they are floating,” Hill says. “I like to watch when people come in. They start walking through the tunnel then go back to the beginning and start snapping pictures.”
Fireworks will spark the night above Kennywood on Friday night to launch Holiday Lights! Visit https://t.co/8qlJmsD6pX pic.twitter.com/F5eJGh3WRn
— Kennywood Park (@Kenny_Kangaroo) November 19, 2019
There’s a 100-foot Christmas tree adorned with 250,000 lights. Guests can enjoy some of the park’s rides such as Noah’s Ark, the Merry-Go-Round and Paratrooper as well as most of the Kiddieland attractions. Thomas Town will also be open.
There are nearly 2 million lights throughout the park. In additions, some of the rides are adorned with wreaths and presents and bows.
There are holiday lights shows plus local choir and dance groups. The movie “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 4D” will be shown along with a daily tree-lighting ceremony, a magic show and Parker’s Dance Party.
Breaking news! Sally Wiggin will be our first special guest reader on the opening night of Holiday Lights on Friday, November 22! Hear a Pittsburgh news legend report on the events of "The Night Before Christmas" at the Kennyville Stage at 7:30 pm! pic.twitter.com/pyBQQycbtr
— Kennywood Park (@Kenny_Kangaroo) November 17, 2019
Kennywood Holiday Lights run Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 22 and Dec. 26-30. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m.
Ride availability is weather permitting.
Tickets are $20.99.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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