Category Archives: entertainment

LuminoCity Light Show at Eisenhower Park

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
December 20, 2025

Three generations of our family visited LuminoCity’s winter holiday light show at Eisenhower Park soon after it opened this year.

Fantasy Winter Fairyland is the theme for the stunning event, which runs through January 1, 2026.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. Nov, 23, 2025. A winged soldier points his sword at rider on her antlered steed at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Since it was 46 degrees Fahrenheit the Sunday we visited, it was see-your-breath weather. But that didn‘t stop us from having an unhurried, long visit. I arrived by 4:30 PM, and my family joined me soon after.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. November 23, 2025. Winged soldiers with their swords drawn climb on an ice archway and giant snowman at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park on Long Island. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– Lumi’s Utopia –

East Meadow, N.Y., U.S., Nov. 23, 2025. A woolly mammoth and a saber-tooth tiger are two animals in the prehistoric section of the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– LuminoCity 2025 –

Lumi’s Utopia was one of my favorite sections because of its collaboration with the Long Island Children’s Museum, which I’ve enjoyed going to with my young grandchildren, and blogged about in the past.

As the display in this photo explains:

“Lumi’s Utopia is an annual art initiative that transforms kids’ hand-drawn 2D artwork into handcrafted 3D light sculptures. We believe every child is a natural artist, and their drawings provide a window into their dreams, thoughts, and emotions.

“What you see here are featured works from this year’s drawing competition co-hosted by LICM, and online submissions, all inspired by the festival theme and adding even more wonder and creativity to the experience through the lens of young artists.”

PHOTOS of 3D light displays based on two of the young artists’ 2D drawings:

East Meadow, New York, U.S. Nov. 23, 2025. A princess that can fly is a display based on a drawing by MIRANDA SQUIRES, 8, at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. Squires’ drawing was one of the artworks the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) chose to become a display. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– Lumi’s Utopia –

East Meadow, New York, U.S., November 23, 2025. Neema the Magical Fairy is a display based on a drawing by MACKENZIE CRETTOL, 15, at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. Her drawing was one of the artworks the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) chose to become a display. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

– LuminoCity 2025 –

East Meadow, New York, U.S. Nov, 23, 2025. A large Holiday Express train, with several cars visitors can go inside, is on display at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Though the rest of my family left around 6 PM, I stayed until after 7:30 PM to capture more photos with my Nikon Z8 camera.

While with my family, I used my newish NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II lens.

After they left for dinner, I switched to my old-faithful, fun AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED lens.

For fisheye fans, I added some equipment and settings info next to the photo at the end of this post.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. November 23, 2025. Snow-covered evergreens and giant flowers are light displays at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park on Long Island. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Our family looks forward to LuminoCity becoming a winter holiday tradition.

East Meadow, New York, U.S. Nov, 23, 2025. Santa Claus, in his sleigh pulled by reindeer, is a popular Christmas display at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

LuminoCity 2025 –

East Meadow, New York, U.S. Nov, 23, 2025. The message “The best holiday gifts are the traditions that help make memories shine!…” is on a sign near the entrance of the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

FEATURE PHOTO (click: related photo): East Meadow, New York, U.S., Nov. 23, 2025. Families gather in front of the Castle in the Air at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, Long Island. (© 2025 Ann Parry)

links for your convenience:

LuminoCity 2025 East Meadow: my PHOTO GALLERY

LuminoCity 2025

Long Island Children’s Museum

Eisenhower Park

CONTACT ME

about fisheye photo below: Nikkor Z8 camera • Nikon FTZ adaptor • 6-15mm, f/3.5-4.5E Nikkor fisheye lens • focal length 15 mm • 1600 ISO • Matrix metering • 0.8 subject distance • auto white • dimensions (before downsizing for post): 7135 x 5504 pixels • process application: DxO PhotoLab 9.2.0

East Meadow, New York, U.S., Nov. 23, 2025. Large 3D LuminoCity letters are in front of Castle in the Air at the LuminoCity holiday lights festival at Eisenhower Park. Fantasy Winter Fairyland is the 2025 theme for the fun family event in Nassau County, Long Island. (© 2025 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Senior Lunch Magic at Christ Lutheran Church, NHP

Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Old Westbury Gardens

Leave a reply

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
October 12, 2023

61st Annual Long Island Scottish Festival & Highland Games

At the 61st annual Long Island Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Old Westbury Gardens this summer, I left it to chance exactly where I’d spend my time.

VIDEO – Inis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band of Long Island:

I particularly enjoyed a variety of musical performances. In the above video, the Inis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band of Locust Valley plays a traditional Scottish marching song.

Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens

Soprano NICOLE OLIVA (see above photo) sang, with lyric beauty and playful smiles, the song “All in the Golden Afternoon’ from the 1998 Disney animated feature film “Alice in Wonderland.’

VIDEO – CHARLIE ZAHM movingly sings the mournful Scottish song “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”:

After a while in the sun, I headed to the shady west side of Westbury House, which looked prettier than a postcard, literally, with the summer greenery and backdrop of clouds and blue sky.

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S. August 26, 2023. Visitors walk by the West Porch of Westbury House during the 61st Annual Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

And I had great fun chatting (and photographing, of course) so many friendly attendees, who were often with family and always decked out in colorful traditional Scottish outfits.

Old Westbury, N.Y., U.S., August 26, 2023, At right, KAYLEY, of Oceanside, holds Winnie, her 4-year-ld Norfolk terrier, and at left, Kayley’s sister ASHLYN, of Oceanside, holds Kasey, her Bichon Frisé, at the Long Island Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens. (© 2023 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)