Bay Area residents interested in visiting the Fantasy of Lights, one of the region’s most popular Christmas traditions, are going to be walking in a winter wonderland this year. And walking only. Because driving won’t be allowed.
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For the first time in the 27-year history of the event — an annual holiday light and animated display with more than 50 large lighted Santas, dinosaurs, penguins and other characters — that draws thousands of people every December to Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos, Santa Clara County officials have decided that cars will be prohibited.
They also have cut back the days significantly from 23 last December — when cars could drive through from Dec. 9-30 and there were two days for pedestrians– to four this year, with no cars and walkers only on Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13. Prices have increased also, to $25 per adult, up from $17 last year, and $10 per child, up from $8 last year. A typical family of four this year will spend $70 to get in to walk, up from $50 last year, and more than twice the $30-per-car fee last year to drive.
Santa Clara County Parks Director Todd Lofgren said the changes are aimed at saving the county money.
The event lost $948,537 last year, he said, and $792,160 the year before that. And $796,818 in 2023.
“We need to be financially prudent with public funds,” said Lofgren, who came from Portland last year to take the helm of the department. “This event doesn’t have to break even. But it should be close to breaking even.”
Holding a walking only event with fewer days not only saves on staffing costs for dozens of county parks employees who work the event, some on overtime at night, he said, but it also allows organizers to have a smaller footprint, which saves the costs they pay an outside contractor to set it all up.
“We understand this is a beloved community event,” Lofgren said. “We didn’t make the decision lightly. We are looking for ways to continue the event and find a way that is more financially sustainable.”
But the moves, which were not voted on by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, have caused a holiday hullabaloo.
Longtime lovers of the lights festival say that not allowing cars to drive through the park and see the lights on the 0.9-mile-long route will make it difficult for elderly people, families with young children and people with disabilities to enjoy the Yuletide tradition as they have in years past.
“I asked county parks to reconsider if this was the right thing to do,” said Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore, who has gone every year since he was a child. “I don’t know if it was clear to them how much of a hornet’s nest this would stir up.”
Under this year’s plan, people who buy tickets can park for free at the Netflix headquarters at 121 Albright Way, in Los Gatos, and ride a shuttle to the park.
Ever since the Santa Clara County parks department posted the new rules online last week, they have been received by many South Bay residents like a lump of coal under the tree.
Hundreds of people have posted comments on Facebook, Nextdoor and other community sites.
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“Makes me sad for all of the people that will miss out because they are not able to do the walk for whatever reason, age, disability etc.,” said Lynda Mack Wootan on the Live Los Gatos Facebook page. “Not a very inclusive choice.”
“With an El Niño year?” commented Mark Snoeberger on the same site. “Good luck with that rain!”
“I won’t be going this year,” said Alisa Howell Barry, on the Los Gatos Town Post Facebook site. “My family enjoys getting hot cocoa and playing Christmas music in our car as we drive through together. Many times it has rained and we still enjoy it.”
“Super sad!” said Jill Crook McElvy on the same site. “We have been taking my 93-year-old mother in law for close to 10 years now. She cannot walk and the cold would be too much for her.”
“One more Christmas tradition bites the dust,” added Charlie Niemeyer.
“This feels like a big middle finger to the community,” wrote Kelly Barry.
Marsie Sweetland, a Los Gatos resident who said she has gone for years with her family, asked other local residents to contact Lofgren and Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga, whose district includes Los Gatos and Vasona Lake County Park.
“People are passionate about this event,” Sweetland said. “The people I’ve talked to are dismayed that this decision was made due to cost. If that was truly the issue, why not seek more sponsors, ask existing sponsors for more, raise the per-car ticket price, or do all of the above, rather than eliminate the drive-through nights? I sincerely hope this decision can be reconsidered.”
Last year, Abe-Koga dressed as Santa and attended the Fantasy of Lights. She posted pictures on her Facebook and Instagram accounts.
On Monday she said she understands people’s frustrations.
“I’ve had a love of the event since my girls were young,” she said. “We drove through the festival when they were little. It was really nice and convenient. We could put them in the car and drive through in the cold weather. It’s always been a wonderful event. So I totally understand the disappointment. It’s hard to change traditions.”
Abe-Koga said that the county has had a difficult budget over the past year, in part due to federal cuts from the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which slashed health and medical funding the county had relied on.
“We are in a very austere time,” she said. “We just needed to change things up to respond to the environment we are in. But nothing is ever set in stone. We would certainly want to take people’s input. We can always readjust next year.”
Lofgren said that the county will be selling 40,000 tickets for the four days, and giving away 4,000 free to low-income families who will be encouraged to apply for a lottery through the county’s social services departments. He said county parks officials are looking for ways to accommodate the elderly and people with disabilities, and asked that those with special needs reach out to the county parks department by emailing [email protected] before the event so that arrangements can be made.
“We’re a public agency,” Lofgren said. “We want everyone to enjoy the events we are offering. I know it’s not easy, changing people’s traditions. We want to do everything we can to soften that change.”
Tickets will go on sale at 8:00am on Nov. 1 at https://parks.santaclaracounty.gov/FantasyofLights
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Bay Area News Group reporter Nollyanne Delacruz contributed to this story.
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