VIDEO: Fantasy of Lights

Hundreds of cars full of happy children, parents and average folk celebrating the holidays waited for more than one hour Sunday evening for admission to the 13th annual Fantasy of Lights at

Instead of going to the movies, or staying home to continue their Christmas celebrations, the popular display continued to attract many vehicles full of holiday revelers willing to pay $15 to enter the extravaganza, according to organizers.

Turning off their headlights and tuning their car radios to 104.1 FM to listen to holiday music, the processional moved along slowly, but the multi-colored, twinkling magic didn't disappoint.

"It's been busy ever since the start, especially over the last two weeks," said one of the brave event workers collecting money from drivers as they entered the park. The weekend before Christmas, however, was busier, he said.

Reason for waiting so long for admission into the park was due to the crawling speed of cars traveling the 1.5-mile distance of the lights display, many attributing it to the beauty of the lit-up images.

"Everyone is driving through really slowly so it kind of makes everything else go snail-pace," he said.

An approximate half-mile long line of cars waited along Winchester Boulevard, turning right on Lark and University avenues, then left on Blossom Hill Road to finally reach the Vasona Lake County Park entrance.

It didn't matter, though. Every participant seemed delighted with the show, which has been running 6-10 p.m., since Friday, Nov. 25 and ends Saturday, Dec. 31.

Put on by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, Fantasy of Lights is said to be the premier holiday lights spectacular in Northern California.

It features animated larger-than-life displays, many with their own sound effects such as those made by dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. Also fun to watch were the sponsoring business signs that were delineated with multi-color lights. Ethnic media signs were prevalent during the display such as those from El Observador, Viet Nam Daily News, Telemundo and Radio La Kalle.

Admission is $15 per vehicle with up to nine guests and $25 per vehicle with between 10 and 25 guests. It's $50 for commercial buses.

This year, the event also featured so-called Reindeer Express bus tours for those tired of waiting in the long line.