Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Holiday events throughout the state offer glittering lights, festive fun for all
For 24 years, the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights has given Arkansas the ideal guide to familyfriendly holiday spectacles across the state.
Event organizers hope to continue that tradition this season, lifting Christmas spirits and offering holiday cheer to every Arkansan. The annual celebration will begin the week of Thanksgiving and continue through the end of 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
Small Business Saturday will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 30, kicking off holiday festivities in Conway. Illuminate 2019, the city’s tree-lighting ceremony, will take place from 2-7 p.m. at 900 Oak St. Along with the lighting of a 54-foot-tall Christmas tree, the event will feature pictures with Santa, a Ferris wheel, a miniature train and horse-drawn-carriage rides.
On Dec. 14, Downtown Conway Mistletoe Madness, when participating merchants will offer storewide markdowns for a final round of holiday shopping, will mark the countdown of the 12 Days of Christmas Celebration. In addition, the city will capture the spirit of the season with Christmas music, horse-drawn-carriage rides and Brothers’ Engine No. 1, which will wind its way around Rogers Plaza.
The Conway Christmas Parade will begin at 6 that evening. Hosted by Relay for Life of Faulkner County, the parade will go along Front Street from Prairie Street to Smith Street. Learn more at ConwayArkansas.org.
Organized by the city of North Little Rock, the Argenta Arts District, the Argenta Community Theater, the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and the North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, the 2019 Northern Lights Festival in the Argenta Arts District of North Little Rock will occur from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at 510 Main St.
The highlight of the event will be the lighting of North Little Rock’s new Christmas tree, which is among the tallest in the state. The family-friendly and dog-friendly event will also include live music by the Big Dam Horns, horse-drawn-carriage rides, a fireworks show, actors wearing period costumes and photos with Santa, along with children’s activities, vendors and food trucks.
The annual North Little Rock Sertoma Christmas Parade will take place from 2-4 p.m. Dec. 1. Hosted by the North Little Rock Sertoma Club, the city of North Little Rock and the North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, the parade will go along Main Street from Pershing Boulevard through the Argenta Arts District.
The Little Rock Winds will present Holly and Ivy at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech Center for Humanities and Arts on Dec. 5, and the Argenta Community Theater will perform. A Christmas Carol Dec. 4-14.
Those who enjoy model trains can check out On Track for the Holidays at the and William F. Laman Public Library on Dec. 13-14. To learn more, visit NorthLittleRock.org.
The annual Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade in Little Rock will begin at 3 p.m. Dec. 7. Starting at Second and Broadway streets, the parade will end at the state Capitol. At dusk, the traditional lighting of the Capitol will begin, along with a fireworks show. For more information, visit LittleRock.com.
The Christmas Market at Heifer Village will take place from 4-9 p.m. Dec. 7 at Heifer Village and Urban Farm in Little Rock. The outdoor, European-style market will feature fair-trade, ethically sourced items from around the world, along with a Living Gift Market handmade holiday decorations and goods mde by local artisans. For more information, visit Heifer.org.
LOWER DELTA
Celebrating its 23rd season, the Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends in Pine Bluff will turn Regional Park into a holiday haven. As the state’s largest drive-thru holiday light exhibition, the event offers more than a mile of holiday magic, including more than 250 displays.
The free event will take place daily from 6-9 p.m., now through Dec. 25. Attendees can enter at the intersection of Martha Mitchell Expressway, Convention Center Drive and Regional Park Drive.
Mistletoe Magic will begin at 5.30 p.m. Dec. 5 with with Pine Bluff’s annual Christmas parade on Main Street. Festivities will fill the weekend of Dec. 6-8, offering ice skating, a retail market, food vendors, games, and family-friendly entertainment. More information is available at ExplorePineBluff.com.
In Crossett, visitors can see the local Christmas light display that was the winner on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight in
2015. Finney’s Christmas Wonderland offers an extraordinary holiday drive, with a plethora of handcrafted, original light displays every night from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. More information is available at Finney's Christmas Wonderland’s Facebook page.
UPPER DELTA
Blytheville offers the largest Christmas lighting display in the Mid-South region during Lights of the Delta. Open through Dec. 27, Arkansans can view elaborate light displays on 40 acres of the former Ecker Air Force Base.
After venturing down the approximately 1.5-mile trail of more than 6 million lights, visitors can take photos with Santa, shop at the souvenir store, sip hot chocolate and participate in a hayride. For more information, visit LightsOfTheDelta.com
The 2019 Newport Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 12, going along Arkansas 69 from Malcolm Avenue to the Village Mall parking lot. The parade will feature groups from local businesses, schools and organizations, along with floats, antique cars and an appearance by Santa. More information can be found at NewportARCity.org.
NORTH CENTRAL
Experience an Ozark Mountain Christmas when Mountain View kicks off the holiday season from 4-7 p.m. Dec. 7. The Courthouse Square and Main Street will spring to life in wintry splendor with the lighting of the Christmas tree and the Stone County Courthouse. Christmas music will fill the Square, and children will have a chance to visit with Santa. The parade will begin at dusk.
Caroling in the Caverns at Blanchard Springs Caverns will take place Nov. 29 through Dec. 22. Participants can marvel at the spectacular cave formations while listening to musicians performing old-time favorites. Tickets start at $25. To learn more, call the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce at 870-269-8068 or visit YourPlaceInTheMountains.com. The city of Batesville will present White River Wonderland, a Christmas light display set to take over Riverside Park from Nov. 29 through Dec. 31. The nightly happenings are sure to spark holiday cheer with ice skating, carriage rides, light shows and more. More information is available at Experience-Independence. BatesvilleAreaAlliance.com.
NORTHWEST
Van Buren will officially start its holiday season with the A&M Railroad’s Holiday Express Pajama Train from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 and Dec. 9-11, featuring a one-hour round trip with Santa and friends.
In addition, Jingle & Mingle on Main will occur from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 7 in Van Buren. The event offers a magical shopping experience with horse-drawn-carriage rides and local merchants dressed to the nines in their holiday best. To learn more, visit VanBuren.org.
Rogers will celebrate Holidays on the Bricks on Dec. 6-8. Businesses and organizations throughout downtown will participate in the seasonal open house, which will feature pictures with Santa, carolers and more.
The Rogers Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 6, featuring festivities at the Frisco Stage before the parade. More information is available at GoDownTownRogers.com.
SOUTHWEST
The Holiday Lights display at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs is open from 4-9 nightly through Dec. 31 with the exception of Christmas Day. The gardens will host the Jingle Dogs Pup Parade at 5 p.m. Dec. 2, followed by dog-friendly pictures with Santa. The Hot Springs Christmas Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 9, going along Central Avenue from Whittington Avenue to Orange Street. For more information, visit HotSprings.org.
Magnolia’s yearly Christmas Parade, Jingle Down Jackson, will begin at 5 p.m. Dec. 5. Starting on the Court Square, the parade will proceed along Jackson Street to Southern Arkansas University, which will then kick off its annual Celebration of Lights. Learn more at MagnoliaChamber.com.