Augusta is shining bright this holiday season, having added more bulbs downtown, resulting in a display of more than 100,000 Christmas lights.

"It's about 25 miles (worth of lights)," said Margaret Woodard, the executive director of the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta. "We've added (lights to) Reynolds Street this year and the 13th and Fifth Street bridge."

The Christmas tree in Augusta Common has about 25,000 lights, said Rick Acree, the assistant director of Augusta's Public Services Department. He wasn't sure exactly how many new lights were put up this year, but Mr. Acree said that in downtown Augusta "well in excess of 100,000" bulbs adorn fixtures.

"We're trying to do a little bit more each year," he said.

In Aiken, Hopelands Gardens has a display of about 100,000 Christmas lights, said Alicia Davis, a recreation program coordinator.

The Christmas in Hopelands 2008 display, which has about the same number of lights as last year, opened to the public Thursday and lasts through Dec. 27, except for Dec. 17, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The display will be open each night from 6 to 9, and a continuous shuttle service will be provided between 6 and 8:30 p.m. from the Goodwill parking lot at 1400 Whiskey Road.

If you're looking for a small-town flavor, Grovetown has about 55,000 lights up along its downtown streets -- about the same as a year ago. That's about six bulbs for every resident in this city of about 8,700.

"There's a good many," said Grovetown City Clerk Vicky Capetillo. "Christmas is near and dear to us, so we like to celebrate it big."

Also in Columbia County, the city of Harlem -- with a population of about 1,900 -- has put up 18,000 lights.

And in North Augusta, workers have put up about 10,300 lights, including some on the Greeneway Bridge over Martintown Road, said Bob Brooks, North Augusta's director of Parks, Recreation and Leisure Services.

Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 823-3338 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.