Neighbors who decorate their houses with elaborate light displays aren't the only ones drawing heavy traffic from travelers eager to look at holiday lights.
Businesses and cities across North Texas are putting up spectacular light shows and inviting folks to ring in the holidays without leaving their cars.The appeal of drive-through light shows goes beyond the ability to cozy up to the car heater.The light trails are increasingly popular with families who want to enjoy some holiday entertainment without blowing the Christmas budget.The outings are cheap dates for teens, too, and draw partiers in limousines, buses from Oklahoma and vans from area retirement communities, organizers said."In essence, what we've done is we've created a staycation for families," said Tarah Fredd, spokeswoman for Winterland Inc., which puts on a light show at Texas Motor Speedway featuring more than 2 million LED lights and 600 holiday displays."You put as many people as possible into your car. The babies are in awe with the lights. The grandparents can see the joy on the children's faces," Fredd said.Winterland, based in Marion, Ind., also produced Grand Prairie's Prairie Lights show for about a decade before launching the Gift of Lights show at the Speedway last year. Proceeds benefit Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, the Tarrant Area Food Bank and KLTY radio's Christmas Wish initiative.In Grand Prairie, nearly 140,000 people, including buses from across the Red River, are expected to travel along a 2-mile stretch at Lynn Creek Park. Produced by Lightasmic, of Bakersfield, Calif., Prairie Lights features 4 million lights, said Beverly Grogran,Grand Prairie's community events coordinator.It takes about 45 minutes to drive through the park, depending on the traffic volume, and on weekends it could take up to an extra hour.In northwest Arlington, the display sponsored by the Lake Interlochen Homeowners Association is scheduled to begin Dec. 14 and run through Christmas night, four evenings longer than last year. The event is expected to draw 40,000 or more visitors. The City Council in September agreed to restore funding to pay for the Arlington Police Department to provide traffic control. Funding had been cut from the budget in 2009.At the Stockyards Station, folks can hop on a bus and tour neighborhood light displays on a weekend in early December. Festivities, including photos with Santa, take place in the Stockyards before the hourlong tour."The neighborhoods on the tour usually have had decorating contests," said Joan Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "People are able to view the holiday lights without the distraction of driving and the bumper-to-bumper traffic."This article contains information from the Star-Telegram archives.Jessamy Brown, 817-390-7326Twitter: @jessamybrownHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
