Holiday events offer festive fun for all
For 25 years, the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights has given Arkansas the ideal guide to family-friendly holiday spectacles across the state.
Event organizers hope to continue that tradition this season, lifting residents’ spirits and offering holiday cheer to every Arkansan. The annual celebration will begin the week of Thanksgiving and continue through December.
With brilliant holiday displays and millions of Christmas lights sparkling all around, as well as parades and other seasonal events, residents can travel around the state to admire the dazzling sights of the holidays. A full list of stops on the trail is available at Arkansas.com.
The following are just a few of the holiday light displays that will be shining bright in Arkansas during the upcoming holidays.
CENTRAL
Illuminate, the tree-lighting ceremony at Rogers Plaza in downtown Conway that was set to take place yesterday, will be broadcast on KTHV Channel 11 at 7:30 p.m. Monday. In addition, visitors to Rogers Plaza can check out the tree and participate in photo opportunities, such as Selfie Pods. Other attractions include an Advent calendar, an opportunity to write a letter to Santa and the Light Up Conway decorating contest. To learn more, visit conwaychamber.org.
Although the Northern Lights Festival in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock has been canceled, merrymakers can check out the lovely lights and 38-foot-tall Christmas tree at Argenta Plaza until early January. To learn more about Argenta Plaza, visit the North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau website, northlittlerock.org.
On Dec. 4, City Year Little Rock will present Candy, Candy Canes & Cars, a drive-in screening of “Elf” that will raise money to support the work of City Year AmeriCorps members. Tickets are $50, and the screening will take place at the MP Productions Outdoor Cinema, 6700 Allied Way. The event will begin at 6 p.m., and the screening will start at 7 p.m. For more information, visit cityyear.org.
The Enchanted Forest Trail of Lights in Sherwood will take place from 6-9:30 nightly through Dec. 30 at the Sherwood Sports Complex, 511 Bear Paw Road. The free event provides more than a mile of light displays. For more information, visit cityofsherwood.net/267/Trailof-Lights.
LOWER DELTA
Celebrating its 24th season, the Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends will take place at Regional Park in Pine Bluff. One of the state’s largest drive-thru Christmas displays, the event will provide a nearly half-mile drive, punctuated by more than 240 light displays. The free event will take place from 6-9 nightly through Dec. 31.
Finney’s Christmas Wonderland, at 123 Goshen Road in Crossett, will be open for those who hope to drive through the light display from 6-10 p.m. through New Year’s Eve. The event is free, but donations are accepted, and merchandise is available. Fore more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
UPPER DELTA
Lights of the Delta in Blytheville will be open through Dec. 27. The event brings more than 6 million lights and more than 48 major motion displays to a 40-acre tract on the Arkansas Aeroplex. Other attractions include photos with Santa, hayrides and more. For more information, visit lightsof thedelta.com.
Jonesboro will celebrate the second anniversary of Christmas at the Park, a half-mile drive through more than 60 collections of light displays that include the Snowflake Forest, photos with Santa and one of the longest lighted tunnels in the country. Other events include the A-State Howel and the Scarlet Scavenger Hunt. The event will open at 5 p.m. daily through Dec. 23, as well as at 5 p.m. Dec. 26, 27 and 31. On Dec. 31, there will be a Night of Fireworks. For more information, visit christmasattheparknea.com.
Stewart Park in Walnut Ridge will host Christmas in the Ridge, a 1.5-mile drive through about 250 light displays, many of which are animated or 3-dimensional. Visitors are welcome to visit the park for free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Other atractions in Walnut Ridge include Light Up Main, which features 36 historic light poles decorated with light-strewn wreaths. Both events will take place Dec. 4-31. For more information, visit arkansas.com/walnut-ridge/ points-interest/christmas-ridge.
NORTH CENTRAL
Mountain View will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at 109 N. Peabody St. For more information, visit the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce website, yourplaceinthemountains.com.
The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of Batesville will present White River Wonderland at Riverside Park. The light display will be available from 5 to midnight daily through Jan. 3. The ice rink will also be available from 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday through Jan. 3, at a cost of $5 per person for one hour.
A concession stand, White River Wonderland Express Train Rides and carriage rides will be available through Dec. 30. The White River Wonderland Ferris wheel will be available at a price of $5 per person from 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 4-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday ending Dec. 3. For more information, visit facebook. com/WhiteRiverWonderland or Experience-Independence. BatesvilleAreaAlliance.com.
NORTHWEST
From 6-11 p.m. daily through Jan. 2, visitors can check out thousands of lights on Main Street in Historic Downtown Van Buren, which provides photo opportunities ranging from the lit Crawford County Courthouse to the 30-foot Majestic Christmas Tree at Freedom Park. More decorations can be found at Dr. Louis Peer Memorial Park. Visitors to Paris can check out downtown lights, including those at the Logan County Courthouse and the replica Eiffel Tower, throughout December. Visits with Santa will be available on the north side of the courthouse square from 3-7 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Saturday. For more information, visit parisarkansas.com.
SOUTHWEST
The Winter Garden Festival at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, which will reimagine many aspects of the Holiday Lights display as daytime exhibits, will continue through Dec. 31 every day except Christmas. Admission is free to garden members, and tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-12. Dogs on a short leash are welcome for an additional fee of $5. The gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit garvangardens.org.
Sponsored by the Magnolia Arkansas Advertising and Promotion Commission, Merrytime in Magnolia will take place from 1-7 p.m. Dec. 4 on the Historic Downtown Magnolia Square. The event will provide children an opportunity to meet Santa, Dancer and Prancer; take photos; and learn about reindeer. For more information, visit the event page on Facebook.