PALM BAY, Fla. – An annual Christmas light festival in Brevard County will stay dark this year.
The organizers of Space Coast Light Festival in Palm Bay announced this week that the festival was canceled for “reasons beyond our control.”
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“The magic and wonder of the Light Festival is only being paused, not extinguished. We are dedicated to bringing back the festival in all its luminous glory as soon as it is feasible,” said a message on the festival’s website.
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The long-running drive-through light event featured thousands of lights and animated displays, including a 200-foot light tunnel. There was also a hayride, special nights, and vendors.
The organizers are the same people who run the Brevard Renaissance Fair and Space Coast Pirate and Seafood Festival, and CEO Peter Moolhuizen told News 6 that the biggest challenge was logistical, as they were trying to run different events at different Florida locations.
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The Space Coast Light Festival was originally held in Melbourne’s Wickham Park, but last year the organizers said on their Facebook page that city officials no longer wanted the event there, so it was moved to Fred Poppe Park in Palm Bay.
Moolhuizen said the city of Palm Bay and park staff were great collaborators, but the group needed to consider future planning and logistics for all of the events it runs. He said the goal was now to get property in Brevard County large enough to run the light show and other events year-round.
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