Preparations for a well-loved holiday event in Windsor will soon be underway. In preparation for the initial phase of equipment installations for Bright Lights Windsor 2026, access to Jackson Park will be limited starting Tuesday, October 13. City crews will begin with fencing off the north end of the park along Tecumseh Road East and closing the service road north of the Queen Elizabeth II Sunken Gardens. Access to all other paths and areas of the park will continue through this initial phase. Mike Murphy, the city’s assistant manager of parks, says there will be some minor work starting Tuesday. “We’ll start with a Phase 1 closure of the north end of the park, we do like to close the park in phases so that most of the park can still remain open for the beautiful weather we’re having right now.” He says this work is primarily to begin the fencing process. “You can still enter from Tecumseh Road and from the south end of the park. We’re basically just closing off the north end of the park. You can still make it through all of the trails. Phase 2 and Phase 3 is when we start to close the Tecumseh Road entrance.” Murphy says they’re excited to get the display up again. “We always try to find a new display, which we do have this year. I don’t want to give anything away but there will be new items to look for!” Closures will once again occur in phases this year to maximize availability of the park for visitors while preparations take place. In 2025, over 105,000 people enjoyed the holiday lighting displays, local vendors, entertainment and more. Bright Lights Windsor has run annually in Jackson Park since its launch in December 2017.
