The Winter Lights Festival returns to Laramie’s Washington Park on November 29 at 6 p.m., thanks to Tough Guys Landscaping and Lighting. This festive community event has quickly become a beloved local tradition, bringing together families and friends for an enchanting holiday experience.

Attendees can enjoy hot cocoa, treats, jingle bells, and a visit from Santa, along with other winter-themed characters. To spread even more holiday cheer, festival-goers are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys or books for Toys for Tots.

Since launching the festival in 2022, owner Brian Welper has collaborated with over 60 sponsors to transform the park into a winter wonderland with over 100,000 LED lights and special character displays, including Pistol Pete and Frozen’s Anna and Elsa. This year, the festival will feature a new 20-foot, color-changing tree previously showcased across the country.

“This is all about creating magical memories for our community,” Welper said. “Each year, we aim to make it bigger and brighter, and that’s only possible thanks to our generous sponsors.”

The festival will host themed events throughout the season, such as UW Athletics Night and Senior Night, where seniors can tour the lights in side-by-side ATVs. In January, the festival will introduce a maze to keep the magic going beyond the holidays. There’s also a people’s choice contest where visitors can vote for the best displays.

The lights will remain up through January. For details, event updates, and voting on displays, visit toughguyswyo.com.