By Michael Hohmann
Thousands of colored lights adorn this year''s Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork, an annual exhibit that gets bigger and better each Christmas, organizers said.
'We are thrilled to provide a wonderful holiday attraction for families to enjoy and to make a tradition,' said Spanish Fork Mayor Dale Barney.
In its 12th year, the festival boasts more than a million lights over a mile-long drive through a holiday light spectacular.
'It always blows me away to see how many lights you can get in one tree,' said Seth Perrins, Spanish Fork assistant city manager, who is in charge of the exhibit.
Visitors will enjoy animated characters from dinosaurs to skiers from the last Winter Olympics, as past exhibits are combined with newer ones to keep visitors entertained.
Perrins said the pond in the festival features lighted displays of whales and leaping frogs.
'As I drove through with my girls one night, it was all I could do to stay in the car,' Perrins said. 'When we left it was just pandemonium of ''No. No. No.'''
Potential visitors can take an online tour of the festival at the Spanish Fork Web site, http://www.spanishfork.org, under the events section. The online tour, Perrins said, is a digital wonder, but does not come close to the beauty of the real festival that has been thrilling guests for more than a decade.
'Countywide, it adds one more piece to the holiday spirit,' Perrins said.
The city charges $5 per car with special prices for buses and hayrides. The event began Thanksgiving weekend and will continue through New Year''s Day, from 6 to 10 p.m. daily.
To get to the festival, visitors take the U.S. Highway 6 exit in Spanish Fork, which is the first Spanish Fork exit going south on I-15. At the first stoplight, lighted displays similar to the ones in the festival will lead drivers from I-15 all the way to the large poinsettia arch of the festival.