The beloved winter festival Bright Lights Windsor is set to transform Jackson Park into an even more spectacular holiday destination this year. City officials promise a bigger, better, and brighter experience for the 2025 edition, building on the event's award-winning reputation.
Expanded Festivities and New Attractions
Running nightly from November 28, 2025, to January 7, 2026, the festival maintains its popular hours of 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. with continued free admission for all visitors. Nada Tremblay, manager of community programming and development for the City of Windsor, enthusiastically described this year's offering as featuring more excitement, more lights, more brights.
Preparation work is already visible throughout Jackson Park, with the installation of the festival's magnificent centerpiece - a 64-foot tall grand holiday tree adorned with shimmering ornaments. Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino highlighted particular highlights including a beautiful fireworks display and a large heart-shaped arch that's predicted to become the Instagram moment of the year.
Enhanced Holiday Market and Themed Experiences
The popular W.E. Made It: Holiday Market returns with significant expansion, now operating Thursday through Sunday each week instead of limited days. This gives visitors more opportunities to explore local crafts and holiday shopping throughout the festival season.
This year's themed zones promise diverse magical experiences:
- Northern Lights
- The Enchanted Children's Village
- W.E. the North
- Candy Cane Lane
- Merry and Bright
- Santa's Workshop
- Winter Wonderland
- Peace and Love Around the World
Accessibility and Special Programming
The festival continues its commitment to inclusivity with several specialized offerings. Mobility Tours are available daily from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., though registration is required. For those seeking quieter experiences, sensory-friendly Silent Nights will run on Monday evenings with muted sound and paused strobe elements.
Additional programming includes:
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the park
- Tuesday Senior Programming at The Chalet
- Wednesday Kids Programming at The Chalet
- Walking Club on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (registration required)
Since its launch in 2017, Bright Lights Windsor has grown into one of the region's most visited winter attractions, drawing over 100,000 visitors last year according to city estimates. As Tremblay noted, I feel that sometimes folks don't know they need something like this until they see it, and they realize, 'Wow, this is something really cool and special' - capturing the magical community spirit that makes this holiday tradition so beloved.
