Saturday, November 14, 2026
A new holiday train ride and light sculptures inspired by children’s dinosaur drawings will join the displays at LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival when it returns to Eisenhower Park Nov. 11.
The festival, celebrating its fifth year at the East Meadow park, will run through Jan. 3, 2027. Spanning 14 acres, it will feature four themed areas — Magical Wonderwood, Dino Safari, Holidayville and Tundra Twilight — with more than 100 illuminated and animatronic creatures, oversized installations and a 40-foot Christmas tree.
Among this year’s additions is the Lumi Express, which will take visitors through the illuminated landscape. Organizers describe it as Eisenhower Park’s first holiday train ride.
“Long Island is our home, and returning to Eisenhower Park for our fifth year is especially meaningful,” Xiaoyi Chen, LuminoCity’s founder and CEO, said in a news release. “We’ve watched families make this festival part of their holiday traditions. This year, we’re excited to welcome them back with new experiences and continue celebrating the creativity of young artists through Lumi’s Utopia.”
Now in its sixth year, Lumi’s Utopia gives children an opportunity to see their drawings transformed into handcrafted, three-dimensional light sculptures. The initiative is presented in partnership with the Long Island Children’s Museum, with support from WE ART Education.
This year’s “Dino Friends” contest invited children to design original dinosaur characters. Organizers received 362 entries through museum workshops and online submissions, more than triple the number submitted in 2025. Twelve designs were selected for display.
The winning artists are Isabella Tiscione, 11, who created “Sprinkles”; Christian Arthur, 8, “Noah”; Albert Zhao, 8, “Fire Breathing T-Rex”; Leia Chea, 4, “Liamstirakosauri”; Declan Buckley, 10, “Dan the Dino”; and Carson Testa, 7, “Roger the Magic Dinosaur.”
Also selected were Angela Chen, 9, for “Cookie Dino”; Bella Chlebek, 13, “Dancing Dino”; Irene Chiang, 10, “Skelnosaur”; Jessie Sui, 10, “The Dotted Dinosaur”; Yuna Fu, 8, “Strawberry Dinosaur”; and Yining Chen, 9, “Cool, Dinosaur Dad!”
Lantern artisans are transforming the drawings into sculptures that preserve the colors, personalities and details of the original designs. The finished pieces will debut when the festival opens and remain on display throughout its run.
“Our partnership with LuminoCity gives young artists a chance to dream big, express themselves, and see that their ideas matter,” Erika Floreska, president of the Long Island Children’s Museum, said in the release.
Visitors can also watch lantern artisans Huang Xingxiu and Jiang Lei demonstrate their craft in a sensory-friendly presentation. LuminoCity’s displays draw on the Chinese tradition of lantern making.
Other attractions include Happy Holidays Hop, a 20-foot-tall Santa inflatable, and the Triceratops Bounce Nest. Santa will make appearances on select weekends, and themed photo opportunities will be offered throughout the grounds.
Organizers also plan special theme nights featuring dress-up activities, live music and limited-edition merchandise giveaways while supplies last. Dates and themes will be announced.
The festival will take place at Eisenhower Park, 1899 Hempstead Turnpike, in East Meadow, with free on-site parking. General admission starts at $29, and tickets for children ages 4 to 12 start at $22, excluding taxes and fees. Children 3 and younger enter free. Some attractions require separate add-on tickets.
