DOVER, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s Christmas season just got a little brighter — literally.

Tampa Bay's Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village in Dover is back, and this year it is glowing bigger than ever with more lights, new vendors and plenty of holiday cheer.

Santa Claus is in town, and you better believe he’s checking his list twice — seeing who’s been naughty or nice, animals included.

“People come running to the goats. They come running to the camel ride,” said event manager Ryan Henning.

It’s all part of the Christmas spirit that Henning wants families to experience at the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights & Santa’s Village. Think of it as a holiday carnival or fair of sorts.

“We are here in Santa’s carnival area. We’ve got all sorts of rides. We’re here on the train right now, Santa’s train. We’ve got the roller coasters, the Ferris wheel,” Henning said.

While flying reindeer may be hard to spot, even up in the sky there’s more to see — it’s a winter wonderland.

“(The Ferris wheel) goes 85 feet in the air and it gives you an overview of pretty much the entire event," Henning said. "When the sun goes down and it gets a little darker, you can see all the lights."

With just the flip of a switch, more than a million lights illuminate a 2-mile drive-through that’s been extended this year with even more dazzling displays to enjoy.

“It takes quite a while. We’ve got a pretty good team — a lot of manpower and equipment,” Henning said.

Henning emphasizes that it’s a team effort to ensure every family feels the magic of Christmas at an event that people look forward to year round.