A magical, musical light show live in Bladen County

ELIZABETHTOWN – Lu Mil opened its Festival of Lights Friday night at 6 p.m. after over a year of planning and many weeks of actual setup and placing of lights with the coordination of music.

Pictures taken from the Bladen Journal appear in this issue of the newspaper within the story and also extra pictures that appear in the weekly picture page, although they do not this show justice.

To feel the passion of the almost 4-miles of lights and music, crowds of people and all the magic this show brings, it is a show that must be experienced. It promised to be more than anticipated and much more than ever can be taken in for one trip through. Many visitors come each year and see how this show changes and evolves into a treat for the family and an overload of magic for the senses. To say it’s amazing would be an understatement.

The annual Festival of Lights at Lu Mil Vineyard is a magical holiday tradition that transforms the vineyard into a dazzling Christmas wonderland showcasing millions of lights and decorations. The 2024 show opened the weekend of Nov. 29 -Dec. 1 and will continue showings Dec. 5 – 8, and nightly from Dec. 12 – 23. The Bladen County festival offers an unforgettable family-friendly experience which has become a tradition for many in this region to celebrate the excitement and true meaning of Christmas.

“The first 2 nights have been great,” said one of Lu Mils’ organizers, Denise Taylor Bridgers. “Over 1,000 attended each night. All the folks you see working in each of the locations (Gift Shop, Country Buffet, The Candy Shop, Ticket Booths, Wine Tasting, Hot Chocolate Booth, Parking Attendants, etc.) are mostly seasonal employees we hire each year for this event.”

The show is an tour that transforms the vineyard and winery into a line of cars with the their windows opened and many “oohs and ahhs” coming from each vehicle.

“Our amazing full-time staff are the ones that make the magical light & decoration transformation on the property which starts as early as August of each year,” Briders said. All lights, etc. come down & are stored each year as we are a working farm so all the “Christmas” comes down so that we are able to get in/out of fields & property. It takes about 40 people to “Light It Up” each night !!!”

People come from all over America for this venue which is becoming a famous and fabulous site for families who want to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend into the holidays. This year, there were also more visitors from educational institutions.

“There were lots of the free school passes used those first 2 nights,” she said. “It was great to see the turn out from those. We give Free Passes to the Light Show to ALL elementary school aged students in Bladen County-fifth grade & under.”

This year, Lu Mil Vineyard is paying tribute to Bladen County’s very own, NASA astronaut, Lt. Col. Curtis L. Brown Jr. with an impressive huge space shuttle blow up as one of the many new additions to this year’s festival.

Highlights of the Festival:

Drive-thru Light Show: a stunning light display while enjoying Christmas music on your car’s FM radio. The light show will run from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. and admission is $10 per person (children 5 and under are free), with a maximum charge of $120 for large vehicles to encourage groups to arrive in vans, buses or bring their own hayride.

Country Buffet: Enjoy a delicious meal from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. in the Creekside Venue for just $15 per person, including dessert and drink.

Extras: Each night features visits with Santa (free photos with your camera), an Old-Fashioned Candy Shop, Kiddie Land walk-thru display, a Hot Chocolate Booth with tasty, sweet treats, fire pits, lots of photo ops and the Gift Shop & Tasting Room offering muscadine slushies and wine tastings. Extended hours to 10 p.m. for these areas.

Vineyard Cabins & Guest Houses: Experience Christmas with Lu Mil Vineyard for a night or the weekend by staying in one of the Vineyard Cabins, Taylor House or the Farmhouse.

For more details, visit www.lumilvineyard.com. Come create lasting memories with family and friends this holiday season!