Every year, tons of people in the Winston-Salem, Clemmons and Bermuda Run areas attend the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park. A lot of these people go every year, but I don’t see the point in making an annual trip to see the same thing.

Not everyone is acquainted with what some consider to be Triad holiday traditions.

“What are the Tanglewood Lights?” junior Richard Schubarg said when asked his feelings about the display.

Tanglewood’s Festival of Lights is an annual light show that Tanglewood Park puts on. It starts around Thanksgiving and ends on Jan.1. Most of the displays are the same from year to year, but some change over time.

It might be a fun holiday tradition, but why? You’re wasting the money, gas and time to see Christmas Lights. You can drive through most neighborhoods in the area and see lights for free.

“It’s overpriced and stupid,”said senior Ryan Edwards. “Why go when there’s a place in Pilot Mountain that’s exactly the same and free?”

The Tanglewood Lights route is five miles long, and then there’s the waiting in line just to get in. You’re wasting gas to go through a light show. It might not seem like a lot of gas at the time, but if you go multiple times and wait in line for five hours every time, it can be.

While you’re waiting to pay, the park has porta potties set up, but they aren’t the cleanest. I mean, they’ve been there since opening night, and when you’ve been waiting in line for so long, you don’t have much choice but to use them.

“It’s a fun tradition,” said sophomore Stella Sosa. “Unless you have to pee.”

Admission starts at $15, but I had to wait about an hour even before I was even able to pay. Then the drive through the show was about 45 minutes. I went on a Monday, which is typically a slower night compared to a Friday or Saturday, when waits can be up to five hours long.

“I think it’s worth it to go to the lights because it’s a family tradition of mine, even though I waited four hours in line last year,” said senior Addyson Messick.

The lights were pretty, but a lot have been there for years. We’ve seen the dragon, the golfers, the squirrel, the jingle bells…you get the idea. I think it’d be more worth it to go if they changed it up completely each year.

The first time going I think it’s a really cool experience, but it’s something I think you only need to see it once and that’s all. If you wanted to go more than once maybe space the year’s out so there’s more of a change when you go.

“It’s a fun experience, but I haven’t been in years,”  said junior Carl Dowdell.

Some people love going every year with their family. It can be a fun way to have a family outing, and spend more time with each other. I mean who doesn’t love bonding in a car for hours on end listening to Christmas music.

“It’s beautiful and an experience for the whole family to enjoy,”said sophomore Caleb Sizemore.

I can see why people would enjoy going every year to spend time with their family, but it’s one of those things that if you see it so many times it just become the same thing. For many people, going to the light show is a tradition, and waiting in line is just part of the experience for them. I personally just don’t think it’s worth it to go a lot or at all.

“I really enjoy going, but I don’t think it’s really worth it every year,”said sophomore Cara Wanner.