photo by: Derek Redd

WesBanco Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer Mike Perkins and Santa Claus flip the ceremonial switch to celebrate the start of Oglebay Park Resort’s Festival of Lights, which runs nightly through Jan. 4.

WHEELING — Festive and colorful lights now line the roadways at Oglebay Park as the park turned on its annual holiday display for the public Thursday night.

A large crowd was present for “Light Up Night” at Wilson Lodge. Many went outside to join Santa and Michael Perkins, chief risk officer for WesBanco, as they flipped the switch to start the Oglebay Festival of Lights and the local holiday season.

It is an event that has taken place 41 consecutive years at the Park.

What’s new in the Winter Festival of Lights this holiday season is “Santa’s Village,” said Robert Peckenpaugh, president and CEO of the Wheeling Park Commission. The village is located near the Levenson Shelter where the “Winter Wonderland” was previously located.

In past years, Santa was set up at The Good Zoo. But now little ones wanting to say hello to Santa will come to “Santa’s Village,”

“We’ve taken our Christmas shop and created a tent,” he explained. “There are some of the elements from the ‘Winter Wonderland,’ but we’ve added to it.”

The train has been redesigned to become “The Gingerbread Express.” There is an open air Christmas store, as well as a number of selfie stations.

“We’ll have the firepits and the s’mores again in that space, and the ice skating, as well,” Peckenpaugh added.

This year, two radio stations will be featuring tunes to accompany motorists as they drive through the lights.

Wheeling Park High School will once again broadcast holiday music over their station, WPHP Radio at 91.9 FM.

But drivers this year won’t have to roll down their windows to hear the music that is synchronized with the lights in many parts of the park. They will just need to tune in to 1700 AM to hear the tunes.

“This is 41 years strong, and it’s something that we always look forward to,” said Eriks Janelsins, president and CEO of the Oglebay Foundation. “We love doing it for the community.”

And the impact of The Festival of Lights doesn’t just benefit Oglebay Park, but also the entire region, he added. Those from outside the area coming to the park eat in area restaurants, buy gasoline and shop in local retail establishments.

Janelsins’ connection to the park and the Festival of Lights actually goes back 39 years — not including three years of caddy camp there.

“I’ve actually got 42 years in here,” he said. “I grew up here. My kids grew up here. And now I am fortunate to have my grandkids here. I have a deep love for Wheeling.”

He said his favorite memories of the Festival of Lights – because they are his children’s favorite memories – involve the dinosaurs at the winter carnival area.

Janelsins suggests those wanting to come to Oglebay Park to see the lights to avoid the busy Friday and Saturday night lines if possible. If they do want to come on those days, they should come earlier and maybe spend some time visiting other attractions at the park.

“If you get stuck in the traffic, it can be a long wait,” he explained.

Both Janelsins and Peckpaugh explained the Festival of Lights – the brainchild of former Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO J. Randolph Worls – came about as a way to bring more visitors and hotel guests to the park during the holiday season when sales were down.

“This effort turned November and December in our parks from a sleepy time to the busiest time of the year,” Peckenpaugh said. “There are 300,000 people who now come through to see the lights, and that didn’t exist before.

“I’ve worked in the hotel business a long, long time and I’ve been at a lot of different resorts. You don’t get 300,000 people going through your resorts this time of year.”

He commended the efforts of Worls, who was present for Thursday’s “Light Up Night.”

The lights will be on from 5 p.m. to midnight each night through Jan. 4, 2026.