Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The display by Gino's Restaurant of Hancock is one of 25 holiday displays that make up Hancock Lights the Night at the Hancock city campground

HANCOCK – Hancock’s Lights the Night holiday celebration has been successful, with more than 25 Hancock businesses with displays set up at various camp sites throughout the Hancock City Campground. So far hundreds of motorists have been driving through the campground to view the holiday displays. The official first night of Light the Night was Nov. 29.

City Manager Mary Babcock said the first night 443 cars drive through and on Thursday, Dec. 3, about 300 more drove through.

To add to the holiday cheer, the city is operating an FM radio frequency which plays Christmas music that people can listen to on their car radios while driving through the campground. The campground displays can only be viewed while driving, said Babcock, because there is nowhere to park.

“Saturday Night was our big one,” Babcock said. “We had a walk-in and Santa was here. We served hot chocolate, and people could walk. We bussed people from the beach parking lot over to the campground and just continued a loop, because there’s no place to park at the campground.”

Lights the Night is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:30-8 p.m. and runs through Jan. 3, 2026.Because of the holidays, the display will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, and special added open dates include Dec. 21, 22, and 23.

Babcock said she would like Lights the Night to become an annual event.

“We hope to do that,” she said, “but we will need to get more people involved in setting it up.”