What’s New At Bentleyville 2024? Here’s What To Expect This Year

The clock is ticking before Duluth's Bentleyville Tour of Lights opens to the public for the 2024 season.

Preparations have been underway through the fall at Bayfront Festival Park ahead of their season getting underway on Saturday, November 22.

Staff and volunteers have been working hard to set up the various decorations lights, and other elements to this magical holiday wonderland that welcomes tens of thousands of people each year.

BENTLEYVILLE FACT: According to a 2022 study published by the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bentleyville has drawn an estimated crowd of over 300,000 people in past seasons, supporting almost 300 local jobs and having a local economic impact of $24 million. 

Leading up to their 2024 season getting underway, the team with Bentleyville has been sharing some highlights of new additions and updates visitors can look forward to seeing this year.

There are some notable updates and new additions that even the most seasoned, regular visitor to Bentleyville can get excited about! Let's take a look at some of them.

An updated tree

The 128-foot centerpiece of Bentleyville got a facelift for 2024. Event organizers shared back in October that all of the old LED lights that had been on the tree were removed and replaced with new RGB lighting.

READ MORE: Why Bentleyville's tree was lit up all night in green in November

The new lighting uses the primary colors red, green, and blue (like a TV or computer monitor) to generate a multitude of different colors that will dance around and light the iconic tree.

Here's a look at the tree all lit up at the end of October with the new lights.

A new cider house will be on-site this year!

Earlier this month, Bentleyville announced a new addition that will join other food & beverages on-site like the hot chocolate, cookies, and popcorn fans have enjoyed over the years.

READ MORE: Big changes for Bentleyville shuttles and train rides for 2024 - what you need to know

A new cider house will offer hot apple cider, where for $2.00 you can enjoy a 16-ounce cup of the delicious cold-weather beverage. The new stand will be located across from the fire pits where you can also make s'mores.

Cookies, hot chocolate, and coffee (available by request) will still be available at the Cookie House.

The Popcorn Factory will also once again be offering free popcorn, and the Marshmallow Hut will still be offering free marshmallows to roast over one of their wood fire pits with the option to buy the supplies for making s'mores if you want more than just a toasty marshmallow.

Other new decorations and displays

Every year, Nathan Bentley and his team are looking for ways to add fresh new decorations and displays to the tour of lights.

While there are some classic items like the iconic tree and the giant Christmas bulbs and other photo opportunities to pose in, there are some new things you'll notice this year, too! While we don't want to spoil all of the fun, here's a little peek at what to expect this year - including the tree with its new lights in action.