★★★★★
55 Alexander Drive
Bridgewater, MA 02324
Phone: 508-279-2894
www.bridgewaterfestivaloflights.com

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-008.jpgLast night my friends and I traveled to ‘Bridgewater Festival of Lights’ to do a wheelchair accessibility review and see the 200,000 Christmas lights display with an animated walk through village. We found their website on the Povo’s Guide to Christmas and I live close to Bridgewater which was a plus.

gpskenny005.jpgI was very excited to test my new Garmin Navigation GPS system that my mom and dad gave me as an early Christmas present as I headed to Bridgewater Festival of Lights. My mom and dad thought it would be good for me and my friends to use so that we don’t get lost when traveling to new places :) Thanks Mom and Dad!!

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-010.jpgThe Bridgewater Festival of Lights is a personal home Christmas display and it has become a major attraction in our area. It is open every year from December 5th through the 25th from 5pm till 9pm on week nights and 10pm on weekends. It is produced by Star Light Charities Inc , a non profit charitable fundraising organization and all funds donated are given to local charities.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-011.jpgThe home is located at the end of a residential street and there is no handicap parking yet you can easily find parking in the rotary at the end of the street. You can see the beautiful Christmas lights on this home as soon as you drive down the street. We entered the driveway of the home and there was a very nice man standing at an outdoor fireplace. He was handing out flyers advertising outdoor fireplaces. It was a cold night, so we warmed up in front of the fireplace before heading to see the light displays.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-019.jpgNext to the fireplace was another nice man giving out Free popcorn so we headed over to get some popcorn that we enjoyed as we traveled through the displays. We were told that the Bridgewater and Hanson Lions Clubs come in on the weekends and they bring Santa, Free Hot Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Popcorn!

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-014.jpgAlso at the driveway there was Santa taking pictures with kids. My roommate and I took a picture with Santa too. You’re never too old to enjoy some time with good old Saint Nick! The picture was attached to a Christmas post card. We met the photographer and he told us that he owned the home. He and his wife live in this house and decorate it each year to raise money for charities like ‘Toys for Tots’.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-043.jpgThe nice thing is that it is FREE to see this beautiful and animated display of Christmas lights. At the beginning of the walk there is a box to donate money for charities so you can choose to give what you can afford. My friends and I all put in a few bucks. The lighting display starts at the front of the home and continues around the side of the home then around their above ground pool which is nicely decorated. Though it is a short walk/wheel, it’s very beautiful as it’s full of decorations and have some very nice Christmas displays.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-018.jpgMost of the terrain was solid but we encountered a muddy area while looking at the ‘Winter Wonderland’ display. I would expect this after two full days of heavy rain. My friends had to put my new Permobil Power Chair on manual drive so that they could lift it and pull me out of the mud. If I knew it was going to be so muddy, I would have come in my manual chair for a manual chair would be able to wheel through as well.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-031.jpgAll the displays are easy to view from a wheelchair. The only one that is a little high is the Winter Wonderland display but I raised my seat up on my new Permobil C350 Power Chair and thought how lucky I am that my chair can do this! I was at eqaul eye level as my friend, Kevin.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-036.jpgI wouldn’t recommend that a fellow wheeler come here if it has recently rained. The rest of the wheel/walk around the lighting display was more solid terrain and dry but I did have to avoid some little puddles here and there.

festival-of-lights-in-bridgewater-038.jpgI give Bridgewater Festival of Lights FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. If it were a public place I would expect a paved walkway around the displays. Yet I don’t expect the owners to do this for it is private property and a large expense. I give the nice couple who live here FIVE STARS for their kindness, sensitivity and especially for lighting this wonderful Christmas display each year to raise money for charities. They deserve a big thank you for their generosity and good will!