Winterfest is the City's annual tree lighting ceremony in Bayliss Park. What started as a simple countdown in 2014 has become a one-of-a-kind festival of winter activities. The main event at Winterfest is the Bayliss Park Lighting Ceremony. At 6:00 p.m., Santa Claus and Mayor Walsh lead the crowd in a song of Jingle Bells followed by a countdown, after which Bayliss Park lights up with more than 60,000 twinkle lights and the celebrations begin.

The City of Council Bluffs is partnering with The Council Bluffs Public Library, Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment, The 712 Initiative, Union Pacific Museum, Pottawattamie County Conservation, and The Salvation Army to give the community a holiday tradition unlike anywhere else.