LuminoCity brings bright lights and dinosaurs to Philly this year

Montgomery County is a bit brighter in 2023 with the opening of LuminoCity Festival’s Golden Holiday experience at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks.

The immersive venue featuring light sculptures and art installations has been around since 2018 (founded by Xiaoyi Chen), but this year will mark the first time it’s making its way to the Philadelphia area. And what sets LuminoCity apart is that not only does it showcase the holiday spirit, it also dons some prehistoric fixtures as well in the form of big, bright dinosaurs.

“We are thrilled to be able to bring our spectacular holiday light experience to the Philadelphia region for the first time,” said Xiaoyi Chen, founder of LuminoCity in a statement. “LuminoCity’s Holiday Lights Festival originally launched in Randall’s Island Park and has since become a staple of our company. As we enter the 2023 winter season, we are confident that residents and visitors of the greater Philadelphia area will create lifelong memories and start a new holiday tradition of experiencing our light art.”

What visitors will find at this particular showcase is a winter wonderland donning 40 dinosaurs with 80+ lighting sculptures surrounding them, plus a decorated Christmas tree and tent that’s 50 feet donning 20 huge lights with life-sized candy canes. And as a release states, visitors will also embark on an expedition to a prehistoric world, with life-sized animated dinosaurs towering over 30 feet, cretaceous volcanic caverns, and illuminated prehistoric fixtures.

And the Golden Holiday will ring throughout the festival with giant golden ornaments, gifts, candy canes and more. Another fixture of LuminoCity, the Holiday Express, will be up and running for $10 per passenger, and there’s also the “Giant Golden Glitter”, aka a 50-foot lit-up Christmas tree, (which they say is the perfect spot for a family photo.) The Dinosaur Speedway ride is another fixture, and through this, families and friends can race around a prehistoric track for an additional $5 per ride.

“We are delighted to welcome LuminoCity’s 2023 Holiday Lights Festival to Montgomery County,” said Rachel Riley, Associate Vice President of Communications for the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board in another statement. “Having their innovative and enchanting displays not only brings a new level of wonder and excitement to Montco’s already robust holiday celebrations, but also reinforces the county as a holiday destination with unforgettable family-friendly experiences.”

LuminoCity’s Holiday Festival, Golden Holiday, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center runs now through Jan. 15, daily from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at luminocityfestival.com, and at the door. Kids ages 3 and under will receive free entry.