New Light Show to Illuminate the Holiday Season in Riverhead

Thrill to the holiday lights as you continue along the 25-minute drive.
Thrill to the holiday lights as you continue along the 25-minute drive.
11/8/18 - By Rebekah Yahoves

No one is more electrified by the spirit of the holidays than kids. This year, the Town of Riverhead is presenting a new holiday light show with dazzling displays sure to warm the hearts of everyone in your family.

If you are looking for a seasonal adventure that beats ambling through the neighborhood, this drive-through exhibit will saturate everyone with the holiday spirit. And for a full day of fun on the East End,  check out the Long Island Aquarium or the Railroad Museum of Long Island before your twinkly excursion.

You might also want to check out the Polar Express Trolley Ride, departing from the North and South Forks beginning November 23. As always, our November GoList and events calendar contain the best in holiday activities across Long Island.

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The show, new to the Riverhead area, is 1½ miles long and filled with wonderful holiday displays

The light show is scheduled to open Friday, November 16 and run until Saturday, December 29. It is open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 pm until 11 pm at the Long Island Sports Park in Calverton, five miles from downtown Riverhead, Tickets, priced at $23 per car, can be purchased online and used on any night. Tickets purchased at the gate cost $25 per car.

The show is 1½ miles long and takes 20-25 minutes to drive through. Visitors can tune into radio station WELJ 104.7 FM for music that accompanies the display. Only cars are allowed. Photography is permitted and encouraged.

Tawni Otterman, account executive for BOLD Broadcasting, parent company of the show, is excited about the event. "There will be 60 to 70 displays," she said. "Some are up to three stories tall, and up to 100 feet in length."

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Kids will love this happy and illuminated sea creature, one of the signature creations of the show.

Displays include an ice palace, Santa on a Harley, a snowflake palace, campfire fun, and sea creatures. 

Otterman is thrilled with the level of enthusiasm expressed so far. "We were originally expecting 20,000 people, but we are now expecting somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000. We are planning to bring it back every year and expand every year."

To get to the Riverhead Light Show, take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 71, and turn north onto Edwards Avenue. Since the Calverton Long Island Rail Road station is no longer active, take the LIRR to the Riverhead station to access the show by train. The Long Island Sports Park is about a five-mile taxi ride from Riverhead station.

Photos courtesy of the Riverhead Light Show

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