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Charleston Business

Fireflies Holiday Lights Coming to Columbia in November

Oct 20, 2022 11:13AM ● By C. Grant Jackson

A grand holiday light show of more than 1 million LED lights, featuring 10 themed areas, is coming to the BullStreet District this Christmas season. The Columbia Fireflies announced Tuesday that Segra Park will be home to a new Midlands holiday tradition, Fireflies Holiday Lights. 

The light show will run for 42 nights from Nov. 19 to Dec. 31 and will be open daily, excluding Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Holiday shopping, kids’ crafts and activities, and holiday-themed food and drinks will be available throughout the event. Santa Claus and Mason, the Fireflies mascot, will be on-hand some evenings. 

Fireflies Holiday Lights joins the Riverbanks Zoo’s Light Before Christmas, Saluda Shoals Park’s Holiday Lights on the River, and the South Carolina State Fair’s Carolina Lights as major area holiday light displays.

“Our goal is to help make Columbia a Christmas lights destination along with all of the other great holiday light displays across the Midlands,” said Fireflies Team President Brad Shank. “This is a unique new way for us to invite our local community along with guests from across the state of South Carolina out to Segra Park during the winter months and our team is excited to show a creative way to celebrate the holidays in the BullStreet District.” 

Families could come to Columbia, maybe for a long weekend, and take in multiple shows. 

The Fireflies are projecting 20,000 to 25,000 visitors for the run of the 42 nights that Fireflies Holiday Lights will be open, Shank said.

The light displays are being provided by Lightasmic, a California-based company that has done similar large-scale light displays around the country. They have received two tractor trailer loads and expect two more in the next week or two, Shank said.

Fireflies Holiday Lights will be similar to the Sugar Land Holiday Lights at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas, about 20 miles from Houston, and home to the minor league Sugar Land Space Cowboys of the Pacific Coast League.

The holiday lights display is another effort by the Fireflies to use Segra Park, which is a city park, all year long. In addition to minor league baseball games, the park has hosted other sports and special events such as concerts, movie nights and various charity events.  

Fireflies Holiday Lights will be open 6-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6-10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Starting Dec. 17, the show will be open from 6-10 p.m. every night. New Year’s Eve will feature a kids “ball drop” at 7 p.m., with the park open from  5-8 p.m.

All tickets for the event will be general admission. From Nov. 19 through Dec. 16, tickets for children ages 3-12 will be $9 Sunday through Thursday, and adult tickets will be $12. Friday and Saturday tickets will be $11 for children and $14 for adults. Starting Dec. 17, all tickets will be $12 for children and $14 for adults.

Children 2 and younger are admitted free. Active and retired military, seniors (65+) and First Responders will receive $2 off admission every night. Fireflies Season Ticket Members and Fireflies Kids Club Members will receive specialty admission prices Nov. 19 through Dec. 16. Season Ticket Members can contact their Fireflies Ticket Account Manager to learn more. Fireflies Kids Club Members will receive more information on how to take advantage of this specialty pricing.

Specialty pricing and rewards for groups of 15 or more to attend Fireflies Holiday Lights are also available. For pricing and more information, call the Fireflies Box Office at 803-726-4487, or email [email protected] to book your holiday lights group outing. 

All Fireflies Holiday Lights Tickets must be purchased online. Tickets will not be available at the Fireflies Box Office. Tickets for all 42 nights of Fireflies Holiday Lights go on sale Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. at FirefliesTickets.com.

Segra Park will remain a cashless facility for the event. Fans who bring cash can purchase gift cards at guest services to use at concession stands and the team store.

Gates open at 6 p.m., fans can stroll throughout concourse areas and even walk on the field to see the dazzling lights set up throughout the ballpark. Throughout the night, the lights will sync to holiday music showcasing a ballpark-wide light show spectacular. 

 While enjoying the lights, fans can also visit concessions stands serving traditional ballpark fare, as well as some new specialty holiday items including s’mores Kits. Festive holiday drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, will also be available for purchase every night. In addition to the Mason Jar Team store, guests will also be able to shop local holiday vendors. Vendors looking to have booth space can contact Jason Haller at [email protected]

Each night of the week will feature a special promotion. Each week will kick-off with Mason Monday, the only day the Fireflies mascot will be in attendance to take holiday photos with kids and families. Tuesday will host a Lights Scavenger Hunt with the winners earning an exclusive Fireflies Holiday Lights gift. Wednesdays will be WLTX Winter Wag-Alongs, following a Segra Park tradition of fans bringing their dogs with them. Thursdays will feature Ugly Christmas Sweater Drink Specials, with half-priced draft beer and fountain sodas throughout the evening. Every Friday will have a Kids Craft Corner presented by The Home Depot. On Sundays Kids Eat Free, each child under 12 will get a voucher for a free hot dog and a drink upon entry.  

During Santa Saturdays through Dec. 17, Santa will be on hand for photos and to hear Christmas wishes from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Santa will also be in attendance Dec. 21 to take pictures with all the good dogs, and on Dec. 22 and 23 leading into the holiday. On Christmas Eve, Segra Park will host a Pajama Party. Children and families are encouraged to come decked out in their best matching holiday pajamas. 

“Promotions and theme nights are some of the most beloved parts of Fireflies baseball, so it only felt right to carry those fan favorite traditions into the holiday season for Fireflies Holiday Lights,” said Ashlie DeCarlo, director of marketing for the Fireflies. “Our team is excited to show the community our festive spirit and bring a Minor League Baseball twist to a classic holiday family event.” 

The Fireflies clear bag policy will remain in effect for this event. Parking for Fireflies Holiday Lights will be located in the Freed Street Parking Deck on the corner directly across from main plaza of Segra Park. ADA Accessible parking spots will be available in the Freed Street Parking Deck as well as in the parking lot beyond the right field fence with access off Barnwell Street. Additional parking for the Fireflies Holiday Lights will also be available along the surface streets surrounding Segra Park throughout the BullStreet District and will be first come, first serve. 

For more information on the holiday lights, visit FirefliesHolidayLights.com.