Returning this year is the Magic of Lights festival at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Afraid of the cold winter weather often associated with outdoor holiday festivals? Well, have no fear because 80% of this attraction is inside your vehicle. You read it right. Magic Of Lights is the only drive-through attraction that we know of in Southern California. Therefore, the Auto Club Speedway is definitely an appropriate venue for an attraction such as this.
Vehicles entered through the instructed gate where there are guides that show you where to turn. Once you approach the front of the tour, you have the option to tune your radio to a specified channel set up by Magic Of Lights so that you can enjoy the displays along with the music. Magic Of Lights is not your typical holiday light display attraction. It its made up of bright L.E.D.s that feature major landmarks, monuments, and various objects you didn't expect to be a holiday light. We found that the route was long and worth the price of admission. As we mentioned earlier, the attraction was 80% inside the vehicle; so what about the other 20%? New this year, is the Holiday Village, which guests had to option of parking and walking or continue on the light tour. We chose to park for a rest stop and to check out the Holiday Village.
The Holiday Village took over a small area next to the restrooms. There was a holiday hay maze, a few neat displays, a movie screening and of course: Santa. Guests can take photos with Santa for a surcharge. Once guests were done with the Holiday Village, there was only one way to go and that was to finish the 2nd half of the light tour.
Overall, we felt that the event was paced appropriately with plenty space to pull over the vehicle in case you wanted to experience the magic of a certain display for a bit longer. The music is constant with no commercials or interruptions so you can immerse yourself into the spirit until closing time. There were plenty of light displays before the midway rest stop with the Holiday Village, and lots more afterward. Forget calling this a light display alongside the race tracks; from certain views, this place looks like a City of Lights!
