Edison & Ford Winter Estates Holiday Nights Festival

This year is expected to have more lights and decorations than ever before

By Mike Mason

CREATED Nov. 30, 2012

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 FORT MYERS - It's called one of the top holiday events in the nation.  The month long Edison and Ford holiday nights party kicks off tonight....with dazzling lights and holiday entertainment. Four in your Corner's Mike Mason was there and has more on what to expect.

 
The holiday event kicked off with a VIP preview party tonight and we're told there are more lights and decorations this year than ever before."
 
 Dozens showed up to the holiday nights preview party....including Thomas Edison himself.
The actual festival begins tomorrow and the estate will be full of festivities and lots of lights.
 
Lisa Sbuttoni: "Thousands and millions of lights."
 
During the month of December the 20 acre estate opens to the public....some sections are free and others require a ticket....either way there's plenty to see.
 
Lisa Sbuttoni: "We have over 50 trees decorated by Lee County students and starting tomorrow night we will have live performances at 7pm that is free to the public and they can come."
 
Edison and Ford's winter estates will also be open....fully decked out for the holidays.
 
Lisa Sbuttoni: "We have 15 historic homes that have just been restored for 14 million dollars and the grounds are beautiful, the gardens are beautiful, the lab will be open nightly and so will the museum."
 
Tonight's preview party included a silent auction, food drinks and music. But the highlight of the night:  local artist Leoma Lovegrove....she had 8 and a half minutes to paint a masterpiece to be auctioned off to benefit the estates. Here's how it turned out.
 
Leoma Lovegrove: "Tonight I'm going to paint to 3 different songs, about 8 minutes to paint the caretaker's cottage which is one of my favorite places here at the estates then of course a tree and maybe mommy kissing Santa Clause."
 
And the final touch: lighting the 14 foot Christmas tree. The estates are open to the public beginning tomorrow. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, children are only one dollar and for the first 4 days of December there's a 5 dollar discount for Lee County residents. In Fort Myers Mike Mason Fox 4 in your Corner.