Wild Lights 2023 was a great success thanks to our community, volunteers, and Friends of the Parks!

THANK YOU to the 800+ people, who over the course of three days, made Wild Lights Weekend even more spectacular than the lights themselves! There was dancing, laughing, learning, amazement, smiling faces, and lots of great memories. 2023 was the third year for the Wild Lights imaginative lighted animal displays and saw the addition of an indoor space with a winter photo stop, hot chocolate, cookies, and pretend snowballs.

Congratulations to the winners!
1st $150 “For the Fun of it!” | Black Bear
2nd $100 “Maneo Minnows” | Browsing Buck
3rd $50 “The Downey and Lopez/Meek Families” | Doe and Turkey
Community members adopted 3D foam animal displays and decorated them with lights. The contest is free to enter and is a great team-building activity for offices, organizations, and service groups.

We are thankful for our community partners!
Thank you to the Way Library of Perrysburg for their creative and inspiring display.

Thank you to the Friends of the Wood County Park District for sponsoring the contest prize funds and the hot cocoa & cookies inside the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve Nature Center. Become a Friend today!

Add your name to the interest list and receive info about participating in Wild Lights 2024. #WildLights

 

   

Wild Lights 2023

Wild Lights Workshop: Wednesday, January 11; 4 – 7 pm

Wild Lights Weekend: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday; 5 – 8 pm

Wild Lights Weekend: stroll the illuminated forest at night. Warm up with hot chocolate and activities inside of the nature center during the event courtesy of the Friends of the Parks.

Wild Lights Workshop: ***Perfect for organizational teambuilding*** Decorate and light-up 1 of 10 stations at the Wild-Lights Workshop, January 11th, 2023 (weather date January 12th).  Bring festive cheer to your station of a life-sized 3D animal statue. Collectively, we will turn the woods at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve into a magical twinkling forest for visitors to explore during the Wild Lights Weekend, January 13-15. Entry is free to this friendly competition. Register here.

Cash prizes courtesy of the Friends of the Wood County Park District for the “most inspired” stations include:

1st: $150      2nd: $100    3rd: $50 

REGISTER

RULES

Participants bring their own lights and decorations. Participants will be contacted directly and provided with a picture of their issued “scene” with one or multiple animals by Wednesday, January 4, 2023. DEADLINE for registration Tuesday, January 3, 2023.   *NO SYNTHETIC GARLAND*

Stations will be judged by a panel of Wood County Parks staff and volunteer judges. One winner will be determined Sunday, January 15. All participants will be contacted directly and a public announcement made on Wood County Park District social media the following week.

For questions please contact Naturalist Craig Spicer: 419-661-1697 x3 | cspicer (at) wcparks.org

image of foam deer at night with a string of large multi-colored light bulbs wrapped in its antlers. Image of area family posing with their decorated station. Image of a lighted display of wild animals acting out a star wars theme. May the Forest be with you.

 

RULES

Register your group to decorate 1 of 10 stations at the Wild-Lights Workshop, January 11th, 2023 (weather date January 12th).  Bring festive cheer to life-sized 3D animal statues and turn the woods at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve into a magical twinkling forest for visitors to explore during the Wild Lights Weekend, January 13-15. Prizes courtesy of the Friends of the Wood County Park District for the “most inspired” stations include:

1st $150 2nd $100, 3rd $50

Rules for participation:

  1. What You’re Decorating: Stations may be comprised of 1 to 3 animal statues. Your station will be chosen at random. Stations will be outdoors and 40’-80’ apart from each other. Look forward to an email with extra instructions, a picture of your station, and map after registering.
  2. Power and Lighting: Supply your own lights. 1 extension cord will be led to your station. Participants are responsible for supplying outdoor-rated splitters and extra extension cords as needed according to your decoration needs.
  3. Decorations: No political, scary, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate decorations or themes. No fire, sharp-objects, inflatables, moving or animatronic or otherwise dangerous decorations. Wild-Lights Weekend event is targeted at families and children.
  4. Placement: Decorations and lights may be placed no more than 10′ from any part of the 3D animal statue you are assigned. Your centerpiece should be the 3D animal statues. 3D animal statues are made of heavy foam; use long tacks, nails, or tape to affix lights and decorations.
  5. Disclaimer: Decorations may be subject to adverse weather, wildlife, public tampering, or other means of damage, loss, or destruction. Decorations will not be supervised at all times. Participants agree to hold harmless the Wood County Park District for any and all instances of property damage or loss as it relates to this program.
  6. Retrieval of decorations will start Monday, January 16, 2023; Pickup deadline Monday, January 23, 2023

Stations will be judged by a panel of Wood County Park District staff and volunteer judges. Oversteps of rules will be considered in overall score. Winners will be determined Sunday, January 15, 2023. All participants will be contacted directly and a public announcement made.

For questions, please contact Naturalist Craig Spicer: 419-661-1697 x3