NoCo Winter Wonderland drive-through display with 500,000 lights opens Nov. 28, 2024
Each holiday season, Colorado Youth Outdoors (CYO) presents the NoCo Winter Wonderland drive-through display. But this year, instead of filling up noisy generators nightly with 30 gallons of gasoline (approximately 750 gallons over the 25-night run), CYO will go gasoline-free. That’s because area businesses teamed up to convert CYO’s magical one-mile-long route to quiet, environmentally friendly, all-electric power.
The 15-minute tour features 19 light displays with 500,000 lights—that’s one million if you count the reflections off CYO’s 12 ponds. It runs from 5 p.m.-8:45 p.m. Nov. 28-Dec. 31, 2024, at 4927 County Road 36, near the intersection of Larimer County Road 5 and Kechter Road in Fort Collins. Tickets are available from coloradoyo.org/events for $25 per vehicle.
“Flipping a switch to run NoCo Winter Wonderland is a thrill. It’s a huge upgrade for Colorado Youth Outdoors,” says CYO Northeast Executive Director Luke Brough. “But the impact of installing electricity goes beyond lighting one event. We’ve already begun running fountains in some of our ponds; the moving water helps fish health tremendously.”
The annual display, which raises operating funds for CYO, comes to life on the nonprofit’s 220-acre property. The infrastructure cost necessary to convert to electricity was approximately $200,000. However, thanks to CYO’s partnerships, the generosity of area businesses and more than 100 volunteers who donated around 600 hours, CYO only paid $41,000 to make the switch. Details can be found on the CYO blog.
“Volunteers make our annual 220-acre holiday display possible, and everyone at CYO—plus the families we serve—offers a heartfelt word of thanks and invites the public to experience the magic of NoCo Winter Wonderland,” Brough says.