Who We Are
Magical Winter Lights is a unique holiday festival that brings traditional Chinese lantern art to life on a grand scale. As one of the largest light festivals in the U.S., we create an unforgettable experience with massive lantern displays, cultural performances, and family-friendly attractions. Each year, guests of all ages explore our themed worlds and immerse themselves in holiday magic. Scroll through our timeline to see how Magical Winter Lights has grown and evolved over the years!
Where We've Been
Our History
2024
Tenth Anniversary of Magical Winter Lights
Fort bend County Fairgrounds
- New location! MWL 2024 held at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds
- Partnered with McAllen to produce their annual holiday event “The South Pole of Texas”
The South Pole of Texas
McAllen, Texas
2023
Eighth Year of Magical Winter Lights
Katy Mills
- New location! MWL 2023 held at Katy Mills
- Brought back cultural performances such as traditional lion dancing, polish dancing and more!
2022
- Held for a second year at the Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas
- Introduced Circus Espana as for entertainment
Seventh Year of Magical Winter Lights
Baytown, Texas
2021
Sixth Year of Magical Winter Lights
Baytown, Texas
- New Location! Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas
- Included series of cultural entertainment such as Native American Traditional dance, traditional Hawaiian dance.
2019
- Continued partnerships with City of La Marque, Visit Houston – The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Contestant in ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight and won the “Heavy-Weight” Championship!
Fifth Year of Magical Winter Lights
Gulf Greyhound Park
2018
Fourth Year of Magical Winter Lights
Gulf Greyhound Park
- Received AMA Houston’s Crystal Awards for the third year in a row, in the TV Commercial, Point-of-Purchase, and Single Event Promotion categories
- Received a grant from the Tourism Incentive Program (TIP) Awards
- Placed third in the Eventex Awards, a world-wide competition, for “Best Festival”
- New location! MWL 2024 held at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds
- Hosted our “Panda Pop Up” Event at Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA
Beautiful Sichuan, More than Pandas Pop-Up Event
Santa Monica, CA
2017
- Participated in City of Houston’s 68th H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 98th Mayor’s Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting
- Received AMA Houston’s Crystal Award for the second year in a row in the Single Event Promotion category
- Partnered with Galveston Food Bank
Third Year of Magical Winter Lights
Gulf Greyhound Park
Downtown Galveston Saengerfest Park holiday lantern exhibit
Galveston, Texas
- Created a winter wonderland lantern exhibit to Saengerfest Park’s “Galveston Holiday in the Park”
2016
- Participated in City of Houston’s 67th H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 97th Mayor’s Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting
- Received AMA Houston’s Crystal Award for the first year in the Single Event Promotion category
Second Year of Magical Winter Lights
Gulf Greyhound Park
Alice in Winterland
Long Beach, California
- Debuted “Alice in Winterland” lantern exhibition at The Queen Mary’s “CHILL” holiday festival in Long Beach, CA
2015
- Magical Winter Lights made its debut at Sam Houston Race Park and became the largest lantern festival in the US. The inaugural year of MWL was a resounding success.