TUNKHANNOCK, Pa. — The Festival of Lights at Stone Hedge Golf Course near Tunkhannock draws thousands of people each year during the holiday season.
The drive-thru light display boasts roughly 500 standing themed displays positioned throughout the golf course.
"Because it brings so much joy to everybody. It doesn't matter whether you're eight or 80 it's really enjoyable for everyone," said Karen Force, Stone Hedge Festival of Lights.
What people don't get to see is what it takes to set up for this yearly event.
As soon as the busy part of golf season ends in early October, Force and her team of about two dozen people spent about six weeks meticulously putting up each display, checking the lights, and securing them in place.
Where each display goes changes each year to make it feel like the first time for visitors.
And these aren't just regular displays you can buy to put in your yard.
For the last few years, the newer ones are creations from Force's ideas.
"I draw. They go to the welder he builds the frame, I put on this, the light sockets. I have a friend that cuts zip ties and screws in the bulbs, and then they then we store them and then we bring them back down here and set them," she said.
To keep it fresh for the fifth year of the Festival of Lights, you'll definitely see something you haven't seen before.
"One is because it was the 50th anniversary of something, too. It was just by accident, but they also just came out with a new movie that of one, a cartoon that was only a cartoon and is now a movie. And the third one was because it was something that myself and one of the other grounds crew really wanted to do," Force said.
The Festival of Lights lost a few of its extra activities during the pandemic and there will still be some things missing this year to keep customers safe.
"We will not have Santa again this year because it's not safe for people to sit on Santa's lap, and we won't have the trains because we can't social distance on the train cars," Force said.
The display at Stone Hedge Golf Course will open to the public on November 19 and goes until December 31.