NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park 2025

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The local artistic community will be in the spotlight, when NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park returns for its 12th consecutive autumn. The amazing sculpture park will be illuminated in colorful theatrical lighting when NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park returns on Friday, September 20, 2024. A portion of the legendary park’s landscape and sculptures are seen in a whole different light. 

New to  NIGHT LIGHTS this year will be artistic performers and artists on each night.  Local musicians, painters, storytellers, LED hoopers, instrumentalists, poetry and more will be displaying their talents throughout the NIGHT LIGHTS trail system. The artist's appearances are made possible through a grant from Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation. A schedule of the appearing artists will be released shortly. 

“We are very excited to feature a diverse array of artists each evening,” said Nila Griffis, executive director of the Griffis Sculpture Park . “Our visitors will discover the artists on their walk through the lights. It will provide an upclose experience with the arts and also add to the adventure of attending NIGHT LIGHTS.” 

NIGHT LIGHTS continues to be an annual autumn tradition in Western New York,” NIGHT LIGHTS blends creative lighting, sculpture, sound, and nature to deliver an unforgettable outdoor experience. At NIGHT LIGHTS, guests are able to venture on an unguided walk through a portion of the Mill Valley Rd site of the sculpture park, where the trails and sculptures will interact with creative lighting – creating a truly unique experience. The walk is about .7 miles and is on an up-and-back nature trail that goes through forests and fields. Some of the Griffis Sculpture Park’s favorite sculptures, such as the Praying Mantis, The Bathers, The Mushrooms and more are bathed in light. 

Guests are encouraged to dress for outdoor conditions and bring flashlights for a few darker sections of the trail. NIGHT LIGHTS will close on evenings of excessive rain. Weather announcements are made on the sculpture park’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 

NIGHT LIGHTS occurs on 15 evenings, spread out over five weeks. The final evening is Saturday, October 19, 2024. The event dates are:  

Week 1: Fri. September 20 to Sat. September 21, 2024

Week 2: Thurs. September 26 to Sat. September 27, 2024

Week 3: Thurs. October 3 to Sat. October 5, 2024

Week 4: Thurs. October 10  to Sun. October 13, 2024

Week 5: Thurs, October 17 to Sat. October 19, 2024

Admission will be $14 adults, $9 children 12 to 7, and free for six and under. Night Lights can be canceled due to heavy rain. Ticket info can be found at EventBrite.com

SitlerHQ is the creative producer of NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park. The award-winning lighting and event company also produced the NIGHT LIGHTS at the Gardens (Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens), NIGHT LIGHTS at The Heron (Sherman, NY), and NIGHT LIGHTS at Nannen Arboretum (Ellicottville, NY). They created their first NIGHT LIGHTS show in 2009.

Over 250 sculptures reside at the 300-acre Griffis Sculpture Park, making it the United States largest sculpture park. The park is owned and operated by the Ashford Hollow Foundation, which also owns the Essex Arts Center in Buffalo, NY. The mission of the Ashford Hollow Foundation is to promote the visual and performing arts as well as construct a dynamic relationship between the arts and education in Western New York to better its young people and the greater community.