The idea for The Festival of Lights started nine years ago. Pastor Clint Miller, who is also the founder of North County Baptist Church, noticed that during the Christmas season the malls were lit up and full of people while the churches were dark and often empty . Then he read in the Bible where it says "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." The rest is history.
The first year we put up one hundred thousand lights and people came out to see them. The second year we put up two hundred thousand lights and more people came out to see them. The third year we put up four hundred thousand lights and the crowd continued to grow. The fifth year we put up five hundred thousand lights and by that time it had become a San Diego County Tradition. The sixth year we went for a million lights and that has been the mark ever since. Every year the display grows as we add new light arrangements and ornaments. We began putting up the lights the first week of October with the goal of being completed by Thanksgiving . Yes, it takes time to put up a million lights and about $10,000 a month to keep them on.