By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

When the sun goes down, the lights will shine bright over Osceola Heritage Park.

Wonderland of Lights, an all-new attraction in Osceola County, will be fully operational beginning this weekend, Robb Larson, general manager at Osceola Heritage Park, said.

The family event features hundreds of thousands of lights, holiday music and treats, Santa Claus and even ice skating, Larson said.

Wonderland of Lights officially opened last weekend, but this weekend marks the start of ice skating and visits by Santa.

Months in the making, the holiday attraction was a joint effort by the Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau and OHP, which is managed by Philadelphia-based SMG.

“We wanted to start something new for the holidays,” Larson said, so after looking at other holiday events in the area and around the nation, we found a promoter.”

“I think we made the right decision,” he said this week, after a drive-through of the almost complete Wonderland of Lights. By late Tuesday, the attraction’s ice skating tent still wasn’t ready and Santa’s Village was still getting some final touches. But it will be all done in time for the weekend.

The ice for the rink takes a couple of days to freeze, especially when the outside temperature is in the 80s and upper 70s, but the colder weather forecast should help out a lot, he said.

The drive-through attraction features more than a mile of holiday lights with various themes, including seasonal greetings and Santa in sporting events, such as football and basketball. There are more than 100 holiday scenes.

Guests can tune in their vehicle radio of 98.7 FM to hear holiday music as well as messages relevant to the light show.

Guests can get out of their vehicles, stop at Santa’s Village and take photos with Santa, have hot chocolate and go ice skating before completing the wonderland adventure, Larson said.

Photos, hot drinks and ice skating are available for an additional cost at the attraction.

Concession items include hot chocolate, coffee, soft drinks, bottled water, pretzels and hot dogs. Skating cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children. Ice skate rental is available for $3.

“Our first weekend was a big success,” judging by the cars going through the attraction, Larson said. And it should become even more popular in the days ahead as Christmas nears.

Larson said he expect thousands and thousands of cars to come through the show by the time Wonderland of Lights ends Jan 9.

Another feature of the attraction are nightly holiday movies projected on a big sidewall at OHP.

Larson said you can’t help but notice the attraction once the sun sets because of all the lights all around the Osceola Heritage Park complex.

“You can’t miss it driving by on the highway (U.S. Highway 192),” Larson said.

This may be the first year for Wonderland of Lights, but Larson is so confident in its success, he predicts it will grow every year and get bigger and better.

“We want this to become a tradition and be around for many, many years,” he said.

Tickets for Wonderland of Lights are $20 for a carload (cars, SUVs and mini-vans included). Vans with 12 passengers and larger are $25; buses are $50.

The show will be today and Sunday and then nightly Dec. 10 through Jan. 9.

Tickets are available at the gate. The attraction is open from dusk until 10 p.m.

For more information, call 321-697-3333 or visit www.OHPARK.com.