Light Reading

In what is most certainly a first for my family, we got the entire bunch together to see Symphony of Lights during its opening weekend. Last year we kept dithering about dates and missed it all together. So that means we hadn’t been for two years, due to its one-year hiatus.  I was particularly curious to see the layout this year since I had witnessed some of the early set-up right after Halloween.

A few notes: you can buy tickets in advance online now.  If you come with cash you will pay five dollars more. They have set up separate lanes at the entrance to expedite this process, so worry not. My husband and son-in-law were sad that the “spot the letters” quiz is no more, but the rest of us were fine. They have done away with the paper program, which is great from a conservation standpoint, but there’s a good bit more talking on the special radio channel to make up for that.

Oh, and you can access Symphony of Lights both from LPP as well as the old way on Broken Land. As we entered my husband pointed out that we were on Dennis Lane.

Feedback from a car of two middle aged parents, two Millennials, and two teens was entirely positive. The lights have been updated and refreshed. Some new pieces have been added. The layout is an amazingly creative use of limited space. Because of this, at different points along the way, you get brief glimpses of things that you will see later on. If you are familiar with the landscape you will find yourself gasping as you realize just exactly where you are. They’ve done an excellent job of incorporating the buildings around Merriweather Post Pavilion, for instance.

A brief moment of hilarity was caused by the placement of a poor ice-fishing penguin, who now appears to be peeing in the lake. It must be the angle.

The Symphony of Lights display is a fundraiser for Howard County General Hospital. You can learn more here.

One last thing: I’d have to say that a highlight for me was the sight of the Chrysalis, gently lit, as we drove through the display. It fits right in to the neighborhood.