Lots of Brake Lights at Traffic-Clogged Park Display

A reality check for people planning to drive through the Holiday Light Festival at Griffith Park this weekend: Expect at least a three-hour wait.

The closer it gets to Christmas, the worse the traffic into the park gets, with excruciating waits on Friday through Sunday nights. Cars slowly wind their way through the one-mile stretch of lights, causing traffic to back up on the Golden State Freeway on weekend nights.

The festival, now in its seventh year, is “getting so popular that now we’re a victim of our own success,” said Tom Cotter, senior park ranger.

Once cars make it to the park’s entrance at Los Feliz Boulevard, they must often wait an additional 60 to 90 minutes on weekends before reaching the display.

To avoid a lengthy delay, the public is encouraged to visit Monday through Thursday nights, when traffic is lighter. Park officials also recommend parking at the Los Angeles Zoo lot and walking along an equestrian pathway.

The festival, organized by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Department of Recreation and Parks, will run nightly from 5 to 10 through Dec. 26. Last year, about 380,000 people visited. So far this year, 220,000 have seen the display.

Little can be done to alleviate congestion because the park road is only two lanes wide, Cotter said. Traffic moves in only one direction, north, through the park and display.

Two fatal accidents have occurred during event hours near the freeway exit leading to the festival since Nov. 26. The California Highway Patrol said it has yet to determine whether those crashes were related to festival traffic.

A replica of the Statue of Liberty and a U.S. flag were added this year to the display, which features city landmarks.

Al Francia lives in nearby Toluca Lake but visited for the first time Wednesday night and opted to stroll through because he had heard about the traffic. “I think when you’re in the car, you miss a lot of things,” he said.

The event is free; visitors are encouraged to donate an unwrapped toy to benefit needy Los Angeles children.