One flip of the switch by Lydia and Julia Peck and Kingfisher Park - both inside and out - lit up the nighttime sky.

Kingfisher Winter Nights opened for the 2024 season as hundreds gathered just outside the north entrance for a new feature this year.

A 50-foot Norwegian spruce, transplanted here all the way from Michigan, was the main attraction for opening night festivities.

The tree, delivered last month, was lined with some 3,000 feet of lights.

Prior to it being lit up, the crowd was addressed by City Manager Jim Thomas, who kickstarted the campaign to make the tree a part of the KWN offerings.

Members of the Kingfisher High School and Kingfisher Junior High choirs then performed four songs.

That set the stage for Lydia and Julia, who are the granddaughters of Terri Peck, the volunteer coordinator for KWN who has spent countless hours in the park preparing for the KWN opening.

“I was so excited when I found out they were chosen,” Terri Peck said. “I won’t lie, I cried a little bit when they told me.”

Thomas counted down with the crowd from 10 and Peck’s granddaughters raised the switch to illuminate the large tree, which includes a lighted tree topper that was fabricated by Ora Yoder.

As the crowd offered its approval, the park also lit up with this year’s displays.

And, instantly, State Highway 33 was backed up with traffic waiting to enter.

More than 250 vehicles made their way through the park on Saturday night and another 115 on Sunday.

There were also people lined up to ride the train through the park.

“There were also tons of people walking through,” said Chase Farrar, president of the KWN board of directors.

Kingfisher Winter Nights - and the train - is open nightly from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. (Note: The train will not operate on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.)