City officials on Monday said a record number of vehicles went through the Aurora Festival of Lights this year, which ended its run at Phillips Park on Sunday night.
Nearly 52,000 vehicles entered the fest, more than last year’s record total of just over 50,000 vehicles, Aurora officials said in a press release.
Guests waited in line for more than an hour to drive through the mile-long free lights display on Sunday, according to the release.
City officials have previously said that the mlld weather in December was one of the reasons for the big turnout at the fest this year.
The event ran from 5 to 9 p.m. daily from Nov. 29 to Dec. 29 at Phillips Park at 1000 Ray Moses Drive in Aurora.
Visitors to the event were able to see more than 100 installations depicting ice skating bears, jumping reindeer, a holiday golfer, howling wolves and more, all while sitting in their own vehicles listening to holiday songs on a closed-circuit radio station, organizers said.
While the display was free, people coming through could donate whatever they wanted at the end of the event, with the money going to support nonprofit organizations and youth programs in the city, officials said.
The festival will open again next year on the day after Thanksgiving, according to the release.