Pre-Christmas festive lighting for the shooting star market on Schlossplatz and in the pedestrian zone has long been a tradition. From November 29 to Saturday, December 21, 2024, the neighboring Grabenstraße and Wagemannstraße were also illuminated with various light installations every day from 5 to 10 pm. This was in response to the wishes of many retailers and restaurateurs in the city's historic center. The aim was to create an atmospheric ambience for visitors in the run-up to Christmas and, by trying out new ideas, to promote the quality of life and strengthen the city center as a shopping and experience area.

Grabenstraße and Wagemannstraße have always characterized Wiesbaden's old town and are also important connecting routes between Schlossplatz and Kirchgasse as the central shopping street. Here, the many owner-managed small stores and restaurants contribute significantly to the attractiveness of Wiesbaden's city center. In previous years, these important streets in the so-called "Schiffchen" were not part of the city's Christmas lighting. This is now set to change: Grabenstraße and Wagemannstraße became an important element of Wiesbaden's Christmas city. The innovative and diverse light installations created additional and surprising visitor impulses, conveyed identity and were intended to strengthen trade and gastronomy in the high-turnover pre-Christmas period.

The lighting design in Grabenstraße and Wagemannstraße involved a mixture of stationary and moving lighting accents using energy-efficient and economical technology: Spotlights and floodlights statically accentuated the alleyways, while house facades and trees created an atmospheric ambience. On Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., moving lights also provided a variety of light shows and projections at special locations such as the baker's fountain, the state parliament and small squares. Pre-programmed shows enabled an automatic change of motifs and colors.