ENTERPRISE — The Fair Lights display at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds will be “bigger and better than ever this year,” said Debi Warnock, Oregon State University associate professor for 4-H Youth Development/Family Community Health.

The event, in its fourth year, starts Saturday, Dec. 16, and runs through Tuesday, Dec. 26. The show starts at 5 p.m. and goes on until 8 p.m. and is free to the public. The entrance to the display is across the street from Les Schwab Tires on Medical Parkway. There will be approximately 20 displays at this year’s Fair Lights event.

“Fair Lights has become a tradition for Wallowa County. The lights and displays are magical for people of all ages,” Warnock said.

Through the years she said the fair has “accumulated many awesome displays. Greg (Seufer, the fairgrounds manager) and his volunteers have been working on setting up. It’s all coming together. (It’s) so cool,” Warnock said.

The Fair Lights event has gained in popularity since its inception.

“Absolutely (it’s gained in popularity). Visitors come from Union and Umatilla counties that drive over and have dinner and go through the lights. It’s a gift for our community. Something for everyone to do,” she said.

Santa Claus will be there the first night. Also, for the first night only, visitors are asked to bring a donation of canned goods for the food bank. The first 100 cars to arrive on the first night will receive a gift bag of items contributed by local merchants and organizations.

A unique feature of the Fair Lights event is the fact that the fair has its own radio station — 89.9 FM — that is only used during Fair Lights.

“The FM transmitter plays holiday music, but it only works while you’re driving around the displays,” Warnock said.

Warnock said the Fair Lights event has “received generous support from the county” in the past and this year has added displays donated from the Zacharias family.

Tony Boyd, the Wallowa County fair manager, said a great deal of planning and organizing goes into putting on an event like Fair Lights.

“The volunteers do quite a bit. They help us out on getting this accomplished,” he said. “We have great volunteers in the county. The volunteers we get are pretty amazing.”

Warnock invites everyone to attend the Fair Lights display.

“It’s a gift for our community. It’s something for everyone to do. You can enjoy a little holiday spirit — stay in your warm car with a thermos of hot cider with kids in their Christmas PJs. It’s very wholesome,” she said.

There’s a glow on the hill above Hermiston this month.

The Festival of Lights is back at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, 1705 E. Airport Road. Billed as the “largest light display in Eastern Oregon,” the annual tradition features numerous lighted displays along a drive-thru path.

The drive-thru display is free, but donations are accepted. The suggested donation is $5 per car, and proceeds from the event benefit the Hermiston Rotary Club to help with community projects and scholarships.

The festival runs Thursdays through Sundays from 6-9 p.m. until Jan. 1.

The event is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Santa will be stopping into EOTEC from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 22.

Follow the Facebook page for Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center for special events.

— Jennifer Colton, For Go!