34TH ANNUAL 2023-2024 WEGMANS LIGHTS ON THE LAKE SEASON
The 2023-2024 season of Wegmans Lights on the Lake was a great success this year, running from Monday, November 13th - Friday, January 12th. 41,189 vehicles drove through our show this year!
Thank you to all of our sponsors and to the staff at Onondaga County Parks. Lights on the Lake would NOT be possible without the support of our sponsors and the hard work and dedication from the Parks staff.
RADIO:
The on air radio team had over 450 on air mentions during the duration of the Lights on the Lake season on both KROCK stations (Syracuse and Utica), 250 on air mentions on TK99, 500+ on air mentions on Sunny 102 and 200 on air mentions on Mix 102.5 (Utica station).
Galaxy Media Partners ran over 5,000 radio spots across TK99, Sunny 102 & all ESPN Radio stations to promote the event plus an additional 4,000+ radio spots in our Utica Market (stations including, KROCK Utica, ESPN and Mix 105). PLUS, our Syracuse University Athletics spots which includes 20 spots during Syracuse University Football games, 32 spots during Syracuse University Basketball games, 6 spots during the Baber’s Show AND 6 spots during the Autry Show.
Below are a few examples of the radio spots:
BILLBOARD:
The images below were the billboard images used across Central New York and Watertown to promote the event.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Below are a few examples of our social media posts during the duration of the Lights on the Lake season.
TV:
The team at Sinclair (channel 3, 5 and CW6) ran 832 spots during the duration of the Lights on the Lake season! Below are two examples of the event commercials.
SOCIAL MEDIA STATISTICS:
Page Likes = 22,301 (+2,950 new growth since last year)
Demographic Info = 87% Women | 13% Male
Largest Age Demo = 35 - 44
Top 5 Cities Reached:
Syracuse Metro
Rochester
Watertown
Rome/Utica
Auburn
Reach - 223,776 impressions | One of the ads reached 113,000 and got 4,032 link clicks!
WEBSITE STATISTICS:
From November 1, 2023 - January 15, 2024:
146,000 unique visits
259,000 page views
88% mobile (up from last year)
Top cities from website views in order
Syracuse
Buffalo
Albany
Rochester
Utica
NEWS/PRESS COVERAGE:
Below are a few links regarding the news/press coverage from the 2023-2024 Lights on the Lake Season.
Click HERE for News Channel 9’s “What’s going on this year at Lights on the Lake”
Click HERE for News Channel 9’s “Your Stories Q&A: A question about tickets for Lights on the Lake”
Click HERE for Family Times’s “Lights on the Lake Guide”
Click HERE for Eagle News Online’s “Lights on the Lake Returns for the 34th season”
Click HERE for CNY Central’s “Lights on the Lake returns with a new addition and online only tickets”
Click HERE for New York Upstate’s “Holiday light displays in Upstate NY named one of the best in US”
Click HERE for Big Frog 104’s “CNY Christmas Lights Display Among 35 Best in the Country”
LIGHTS ON THE LAKE GIVES BACK:
The Wegmans Lights on the Lake raised $15,596 for local charities during the 2023-2024 season!
2023-2024 Local Charities of the Lights on the Lake:
Party Princesses of CNY - PARTY PRINCESSES CNY is focused on building girls’ self esteem by giving them the ultimate birthday party experience. From dresses to shoes and tiaras, Party Princesses CNY provides everything necessary to make girls in our community feel special. The organization throws free events throughout the year to keep putting smiles on deserving kids’ faces. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $1,553 to Party Princesses of CNY.
Humane CNY - Humane CNY, located in Liverpool, NY, strives to provide an animal shelter that shows compassion and respect by following a no-kill philosophy. They have been advocating for homeless cats and dogs since 1966. There vision is to create a better community through kindness to animals. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $2,694 to Humane CNY.
Second Chance Adoption Center - Second Chance Canine Adoption Shelter, located in Jamesville, NY, opened its doors in October of 2015. Since then, over 500 dogs have been adopted and over 140 inmates have gone through their program. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $3,030 to Humane CNY.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind - Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides guide dogs to those dealing with vision loss totally free of charge. They're passionate about pairing exceptional dogs with individuals in need to allow for greater independence and a better quality of life. Our Central New York volunteers care for and teach puppies, cultivating highly trained guide dogs. They spend more than a year doing hours of training and socializing to ensure that each pup is well-socialized and obedient. The journey to becoming a professional guide dog takes up to three years and can cost up to $50,000 annually. Your generous donations will support the care and training of future guide dogs. It's also an opportunity to spread the word about the incredibly important service that these beautiful animals provide. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $898 to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
LAUNCH - LAUNCH is proud to aid adults and children with learning disabilities throughout Central New York. The organization helps their clients reach personal goals through education, career training, and life skills. Your generous contributions help LAUNCH empower their clients to reach their full potential. Right now, LAUNCH is hoping to purchase a van to enable them to transport their clients to community events, training, and work. The purchase of a van enables clients to have safe, reliable transportation so they can continue to better themselves. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $1,280 to LAUNCH.
Bailey’s Boutique - Bailey's Boutique is a student-created and student-run store that offers free clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, and meals to young people in need. The store was founded by two sisters who envisioned a place where students could stock up on the essentials without shame or stigma. Bailey's Boutique was created three years ago and continues to grow, now serving more than a thousand students each month. The store survives solely on donations. Your contributions allow Bailey's Boutique to continue providing students with essential personal care items, food, and clothing so they can focus on excelling academically. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $1,697 to Bailey’s Boutique.
St. Patrick’s Hunger Project - St. Patrick Hunger Project aims to pick up where holiday donations leave off in order to sustain community members in need year round. The St. Patrick's Hunger Project partners with the Food Bank of CNY, Interreligious Food Consortium, and other local food banks, and has provided more than a million meals throughout the Central New York community. A hundred percent of your donation will go to feeding hungry people in our area. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $3,444 to St. Patrick’s Hunger Project.
Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital - Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital provides a safe, effective, innovative and family centered care for children in the Central NY region. As the Region’s only Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center, Upstate offers a complete range of health care services for children from birth to 19 years of age. The Wegmans Lights on the Lake donated a total of $1,000 to Upstate Golisano’s Children’s Hospital on top of the 150+ toys that were collected at the Lights on the Lake 5K and donated back to the Children’s Hospital.
LIGHTS ON THE LAKE WINTER GUIDE:
Click HERE to access the 2023-2024 Wegmans Lights on the Lake Winter Guide.
ONSITE ACTIVATION:
LIGHTS ON THE LAKE 5K
This year, the Lights on the Lake 5k sponsored by Upstate Orthopedics was SOLD OUT yet again with over 800 registrants running along the Lights on the Lake path before the sun came up. We also collected 150+ toys to donate back to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
2023-2024 was an unforgettable season for the Wegmans Lights on the Lake!
Thank YOU for your support and a special thanks to our sponsors Wegmans, Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, Upstate Honda Dealers, Onondaga County Parks, Delta Sonic, Iroquois Skilled Nursing Community, Taco Bell, Loretto, Kinney Drugs, Dunkin’, Countryside Credit Union, One Group, CFCU Community Credit Union, Peaceful Pets, JMA Wireless, WestRock, Bank of America, Taylor Rental, Kitchen Express, IBEW Local 1249, Howard Hanna. Broadview FCU, IBEW Local 43, Dr. Madonian, BASCOL, Hofmann/Heid’s, Byrne Dairy, CSEA, Tessy, AmeriCU, National Grid, CNY Central, Palmer Electric, Kinney Drugs, Sunny 102, Milback Custom Homes, C&S Companies, Bluefors, Bishop Grimes, Rudy Schmid, Lamar, Food Bank of CNY, Construction and Debris, Haylor, Freyer & Coon Inc., Stewart’s Shop, Voss Signs, NBT Bank, NYS OPWDD, Woodlawn, Alzheimer’s Association, Rentals To Go, JawnsOver, US Army, Foundation Homes, Inficon, Coldwell Banker, Kevin Sorge, DDS., U-Haul, CNY Latino, Hearth Cabinets and More, BRiDGES, Weedsport Speedway, Milton Cat, Empower Federal Credit Union, Everson, Kostas Bar & Grill, Witty Wicks, CNY Auto Spa, Syracuse Diocese, Coldwell Banker AND Upstate Orthopedics.