Wheeling, a West Virginia city nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, is home to a number of historic attractions, including the circa-1849 Wheeling Suspension Bridge, West Virginia Independence Hall, Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum and a rich collection of old Victorian homes. Wheeling's holiday season is even more of a draw, as the city dazzles visitors and residents alike with a pair of events focused on holiday lights: Oglebay Resort's Winter Festival of Lights and the Fantasy of Lights Parade in downtown Wheeling.
Festival of Lights
- The Winter Festival of Lights, founded in 1985, is a two-month-long, award-winning lights display that takes up more than 300 acres at Wheeling's Oglebay Resort & Conference Center, which lies about six miles northeast of downtown. The event has no scheduled parade, but from early November to early January, you can view the estimated 1 million lights along a 6-mile drive that winds through the resort and its more than 80 displays, all of which consist of energy-efficient LEDs. No admission fee is charged, but a one-time, per-car donation is requested and allows attendees to come back throughout the holiday season. In addition, trolley tours are provided nightly beginning at the resort's Wilson Lodge.
Lights and Displays
- An annual highlight of the Festival of Lights is the Gardens of Light, a hilltop area that includes 150 hanging baskets of lights, plus a Christmas Tree Farm with more than 30 lighted trees and a life-size nativity display. Gardens of Light tours feature visits to the Oglebay Institute Glass Museum and historic Mansion Museum, as well as the resort's visitor center, greenhouse and specialty shops. In addition, the resort's Good Zoo is home to laser light shows and a choreographed light-and-music production. Other light displays include those themed around the 12 days of Christmas, a 60-foot-tall poinsettia wreath, a Ferris wheel, lighthouse, Cinderella and the "Polyhedron Star," which consists of more than 2,000 lights and rises from the resort's highest point. Several displays also include "Peanuts" comic strip characters such as Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
Activities and Accommodations
- If you're attending the Winter Festival of Lights, you may want to check out some of Oglebay Resort's other holiday attractions. The Good Zoo is home to more than 50 rare or endangered animal species on its 30 acres, plus a collection of model train displays and a 1.5-mile train ride. The Christmas Shop, open only during the Festival of Lights, has a selection of holiday ornaments and other collectibles, and the resort's Ihlenfeld Dining Room sets out a nightly holiday buffet. Oglebay's lodging options include the 271-room Wilson Lodge, which has free Wi-Fi, a luxury spa, two indoor pools, a hot tub, sauna and fitness center. The resort also has furnished cottages ranging from two to six bedrooms, as well as several larger estate homes available for rent.
Fantasy In Lights Parade
- The Festival of Lights isn't the only holiday happening in Wheeling that's centered around lights. The Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Fantasy in Lights Parade, an annual event that has been held for more than 25 years in downtown Wheeling, typically is held on a Friday night in mid-November. The parade, which winds along Market, Main and 16th streets, features approximately 90 entries that include lighted floats, classic cars, costumed performers and Santa's sleigh. A weekend Winterfest celebration held in conjunction with the parade includes a faux ice-skating rink, live entertainment, a crafts show and photos with Santa Claus. If you'd like to watch the parade and stay overnight, Wheeling has a variety of accommodation options, including hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns.
