VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It may be a little early to put up holiday lights at home, but crews in Virginia Beach are already preparing for the holiday season.
The Virginia Aquarium will host the first-ever Holiday Trail of Lights, a new holiday light display replacing the former Holiday Lights at the Beach event.
The display will stretch from the aquarium's North Building to its South Building and will open to the public Nov. 20.
William Younce, director of Beach Events, said crews are taking advantage of the warm weather while they install the display.
"As you enjoy it, you're going to be wearing jackets, but we're all setting it up sweating," Younce said.
The new event also presents a different challenge for crews who previously worked on Holiday Lights at the Beach.
"The skill set of us putting the show together and installing it is completely different. We've never had to use scissor lifts at the beach before," Younce said.
Tickets will be sold online beginning Sept. 24. Visitors will be able to enter the trail from either the North or South Building of the Virginia Aquarium.
A limited number of tickets will be available for each time slot each night through the holiday season and into the new year. There will also be a twilight hour, which begins earlier but is expected to have fewer guests on the trail.
The location of the holiday lights display at the Oceanfront changed due to infrastructure concerns with cars on the boardwalk, but some of those displays will still be staying in the city.
Younce said the new event is designed to create a similar atmosphere of family memories that visitors experienced at Holiday Lights at the Beach.
"The whole entire trail will be broken up into seven zones, and each zone is themed with a light theme, with a decor theme, and with a music theme," Younce said. "So all throughout the process you're going to be hearing the show, you're going to be seeing the show, and in some sections you're going to be feeling the show."
The Holiday Trail of Lights will open Nov. 20 and continue through the holiday season.
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