Sevierville — The iconic lights of Winterfest in Sevier County are back and brighter than ever this year.
Though it doesn't feel like the holidays just yet, you can see crews putting up the holiday lights already on Highway 66 in Sevierville.
"They're out here in the heat, it's warm today," Kelly DeBord with the city of Sevierville said. "It's about a three month process to put these lights up."
DeBord said 26 miles of nearly one million lights will greet you as you get off Interstate 40 in Sevierville.
"It brings community folks together, from the business standpoint, to meeting our regular everyday mom and dads with their children," DeBord said.
They're a part of the display that's been going up since 1994.
Debord said the display has never had an effect on residential electrical bills.
"Years ago, when October was over, up through the Spring, everybody kind of closed their doors," DeBord said. "But not anymore."
The Winter Season is now thriving for the city, but there are a few changes this year.
The city decided to extend Fall Festival Season so Winterfest won't start until Nov. 9 and there won't be a normal WinterFest Kickoff event.
"Folks would work hard at creating these wonderful harvest, fall festival decorations," DeBord said. "So they would display and then they would say you know we have these displays out for everybody to see, and then here come the Christmas lights and we'd have to take them down."
Though the kickoff event won't happen, the city said it won't keep them from celebrating this year.
"We have so many things going on in Sevierville and Sevier County--our other sister cities," DeBord said. "So it will be a wonderful season. Just maybe a little shorter since we want to enjoy those pumpkins and leaves and all the leaf peeping viewing."
DeBord says they'll turn the lights on on the night of Nov. 9 and they'll start coming down Jan. 13.