The 2012 Holiday Festival of Lights at The Cove at Concord Park will sparkle and entertain each night from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14 through Saturday, Dec. 29, excluding Christmas Day.

There will be a special kick-off event at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14 during which Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will flip the switch to turn on the lights at 6 p.m. and start the festival!

The weekend before Christmas, Dec. 21-23, Santa will visit and there will be a Holiday Market with local vendors and crafters selling Christmas gifts. Food vendors will be on site with kettle corn, hot chocolate and the ingredients for s'mores. Pets on leashes are welcome.

The Holiday Festival of Lights has grown over the past few years with new displays and now a series of lights coordinated to music. The park staff at The Cove does all the decorating - placing displays, adding several hundred thousand lights to trees, and building bonfires for roasting marshmallows along the way. Visitors walk the three-quarter mile greenway trail to view the lights.

The event is free, but Knox County will collect non-perishable food items for The Love Kitchen. The Love Kitchen provides meals, clothing, and emergency food packages to the homebound, homeless, and unemployed.