When you think Lobethal, you think Lights!

History of the Lights.

The Lights of Lobethal have been an intrinsic part of the community since the early 1950s, when local business owners hand-painted light bulbs with paint, thinned down with turpentine, to decorate their shops and businesses. 

What begun as a simple tradition by local businesses and homeowners to spread the true meaning and joy of Christmas throughout the Lobethal community, soon started attracting visitors from surrounding towns, Adelaide and eventually, the world. 

The long-standing history of the lights that began over 60 years ago has now evolved into the largest Community Christmas Light Display in the Southern Hemisphere. In the early 1990’s the Lights of Lobethal Festival begun and in 2005 it was estimated that the Festival attracted over 250,000 tourists from all parts of South Australia, Interstate and overseas as visitors flocked to experience the magic. 

Today the Lights of Lobethal festival not only encompasses the spectacular light displays but also shines with a calendar of events and attractions that draw on the tradition and history of this iconic and much-loved event.