Officials: Record-Breaking Opening Weekend For Light City Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Light City continues Monday, after a record-shattering first weekend.

Tens of thousands of people flocked to the Inner Harbor Saturday to kick off the festival, which runs all week long.

If you were hoping to check out Light City but didn't want to fight the crowds, organizers say Monday night may be the night to do it.

The festival's theme of "More Love, More Lights" delivered, by drawing in more crowds than ever before.

"It was absolutely amazing, record-breaking crowds here at the Inner Harbor," said Kathy Hornig of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. "All the way over to Harbor East. The bars, the restaurants, the shops, the BGE Art Walk."

Hornig says that the unofficial numbers suggest more than 100,000 people visited opening night.

Many of them, checked out Saturday afternoon's drone races at Rash Field. As professional drone pilots whipped through a series of obstacles designed by Baltimore artists. And as night fell, the glow of dozens of art installations from all over the world lit up Charm City.

The festival of art, light, innovation, and music immersed visitors in a living gallery.

"I think it's really cool. I mean, I like the lights, it looks amazing," visitor Sean Augustus said. "Everything just brights up and makes it look amazing."

Weekdays at Light City will still have all the fun and performances, but a thinner crowd.

The festival, which is running on wild momentum from a record-shattering first weekend, has six nights of lights still to go.

The lights turn on at 7 p.m. every night during the festival. DJs and performances go from 8 p.m. until 10:30 p.m.

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