Bright Lights 5K & 1 Mile Walk
About this race
Join us for Bright Lights 5K & 1-Mile Walk for Easterseals! This is the only night when Ritzy's Fantasy of Lights will be closed to vehicle and carriage traffic and open only for runners, walkers, and people using mobility equipment!
There will be no carriage rides on this night. NO dogs are allowed at the event (except for service dogs).If you participate in the 5K, you can enjoy the 1-Mile walk at no additional cost!
Parking
- Please park in the lot next to Bosse Field or the overflow area across the street on Heidelbach Ave.
- No parking is allowed inside Garvin Park.
Course
- The 5K (2.88 miles) consists of three loops around Garvin Park.
- Start: Just off Morgan Ave inside Garvin Park, run/walk at the corner of Main Street and Morgan Avenue, go toward the 7 lighted trees, turn right, and follow the light show route.
- The course loops around the back of the park, passing all lighted attractions.
- A water stop is located near the end of loop one.
- Continue past the fountain area to begin lap two and repeat until you have passed the fountain three times.
- Finish: After the third lap, take a sharp right at the 7 lighted trees and head back to the Main Street and Morgan Avenue starting point. Medals will be given to the first 400 finishers.
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Walkers participating in the 5K: Please keep a pace to complete the race within an hour. Please allow runners to pass you.
Awards
- Overall Male and Female winners will be awarded.
Awards will also be given to the top two males and females in each of the following age groups:- 1-9
- 10-14
- 15-19
- 20-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70-79
- 80+
Packet Pickup at Ultimate Fit on December 2nd
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- To reduce traffic on race night, please pick up your bib and shirt at Ultimate Fit (1412 S. Green River Road, Evansville) on Tuesday, December 2, from 3:30-6:30 PM.
- You may pick up packets for others as well.
- If you cannot make it to Ultimate Fit, pickup will be available at Garvin Park on event night, Wednesday, December 3, from 3:30-5:30 PM at the Run/Walk tent near the starting line.
NEW for 2025!
FINISHER MEDALS FOR THE FIRST 400 to cross the finish line!
We know everyone wants one and we want you to have one too!
Please come back for MORE exciting updates to be posted for our 10th year! We are still working on the best year yet!
Pick your distance
Running
Bright Lights 5K
You may run this race or walk. If you choose to walk, please try and keep a fast pace in order to help clear the course for when the leisurely walkers will begin. If you wish to take photos while out walking, consider taking another lap or two after crossing the finish line and walking with those who will be doing the Bright Lights Walk at 6:30. With your paid registration and bib, you can walk at no extra cost.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 10 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Evansville, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:48 AM and sets at 4:31 PM local time (CST) in Evansville on December 2, 2026 — 9h 42m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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Results — Bright Lights 5K & 1 Mile Walk
Other races near Evansville
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Monster Bash Dash
The Mystery Race
Fifth Third Bank Turkey Day 5K
5th Annual Evansville Zombie 5K Run/Walk
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Evansville
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Evansville 5K Races 29 races
- 10K Run Events in Evansville 3 races
- Evansville Running Calendar 2026 35 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 35 Evansville events
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