HAMPTON ROADS — Hampton Roads’ holiday tradition, Winterfest on the Wisconsin, will be seen in homes across the country next month on ABC-TV’s holiday competition series, The Great Christmas Light Fight.
The show will feature Winterfest in its “Heavyweights” category. Winterfest will go head-to-head with two other professionally designed light displays, Northern California’s Imaginarium and Albuquerque’s River of Lights. Winterfest will compete for the show’s coveted trophy along with a $50,000 grand prize. The episode will air Thursday, Dec.r 18 at 9 p.m. and can also be streamed on Hulu after its air date.
“We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to compete on such a beloved national holiday show,” said Stephen Kirkland, Executive Director of Nauticus. “We’ve been preparing for this national TV debut for some time, and so as you can imagine, this year’s lights will be completely over the top.”
Now in its sixth year, Winterfest on the Wisconsin transforms Nauticus and the historic Battleship Wisconsin with more than two million lights, live entertainment, themed bars, s’mores stations, and an all-new immersive experience, The Kingdom of the Snow Queen. Also new this year, the Winterfest Riverwalk will illuminate the riverfront with a light trail connecting the Pagoda, Nauticus and Town Point Park.
Winterfest is now open to the public and runs select evenings through Dec. 31. Guests can explore both the battleship and the museum beneath a canopy of twinkling lights.
Tickets start at $16 and are available now at WinterfestOnTheWisconsin.com.