It is the night Owen Sound and Grey and Bruce has been waiting for all year.
The 23rd edition of the Festival of Northern Lights will officially begin tonight.
Co-ordinator Doug McKee says this year is as special, if not more so than years past.
McKee says this year the festival is pulling out all the stops to salute the troops with a few new displays.
At the Cenotaph at City Hall an illuminated version of the poem In Flanders Fields will be on display as well as large yellow ribbons.
McKee adds in Harrison Park several of the Billy Bishop planes will be used in another display with illuminated yellow ribbons.
McKee says hundreds of volunteers have been working for months for the displays to finally take light tonight.
With last years economic impact study done it was revealed the festival last year had 40 thousand people make a total of of 60 thousand visits to the lights.
McKee says they found 48 per cent of the visitors were described as “non local” — and they spent about 540 thousand dollars while here — mostly on food and restaurants.
Tonight’s lighting starts 5:45 pm with the city band playing at Victoria Park Bandshell.
Then there will be Clash the Clown, David and Anne Beverley Foster performing.
A fireworks display will also be held and then the three winners of the festival’s colouring contest will turn the switch to turn on the lights.
Also tonight is the Downtowm Merchants midnight madness, free wagon rides from the Owen Sound Market place, clowns throughout the town and the Fine Arts Craft Show at the Grey Granite Club until 9 PM.
McKee hopes the construction on the 9th Street bridge does not affect the lights — although that particular section may be less visited than in the past.
The lights run until January 2nd and are on nightly from 5 PM until 11 PM along the river and into Harrison Park.
