.jpg)
Winter Wonderland in Falls Park is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The holiday light display kicked off its Christmas season Friday night.
“It's a tradition. We love this. We come out every year,” Marti Lusk said, who came from Brandon for the lighting event.
More than 230,000 lights illuminate the park. Hundreds of people gathered before a fireworks show over the falls celebrating the anniversary. Even on a warm night with no snow, the crowd said the lighting ignited their holiday spirit.
“It does now. The lights are on and the music's playing. It's awesome. It makes me want to put my Christmas tree up tomorrow,” Bonnie Rippentrop of Sioux Falls said.
“When we created this ten years ago we said we want to bring excitement in the heart of the city. Whether a visitor or someone who lives here. And I think we've done that,” Teri Schmidt of the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau said.
“They've added a lot,” Lusk said. “And the fireworks are really awesome!”
Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance along with the reindeer. No one seemed to mind it's still a week before Thanksgiving and the only ice you'll find is trucked in.
“The season for us just doesn't start until we can get out here,” Lusk said.
The display is up nightly through January 6.