PEORIA, Ill. — For a second year in a row, East Peoria’s Festival of Lights saw a huge number of visitors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that wasn’t the only obstacle in the way for the staff and volunteers that keep the lights on.
High winds, thunderstorms, and even a tornado warning in December threatened FOLEPI’s attendance.
Director of Tourism and Events Doug McCarty told news partner 25 News that an estimated 26,000 vehicles drove through the winter wonderland of more than a million lights.
“Because there was nothing else going on, there were no other entertainment things, people were in their cars with their families and we had a record breaking year. We didn’t expect that but we did expect a little bit of an uptick,” he explained. McCarty said this year’s numbers are the highest attendance the festival has ever had.
People continued to pour into Central Illinois from all over the country during 2021 for the holiday tradition.
“We’re definitely seeing a wider variety of vehicles from different states, so that’s a good thing for us,” explained McCarty.
