Prairie Lights In Grand Prairie Returns With A Few Changes
Highlighting the city’s holiday season once again this year is the Prairie Lights Drive-Thru Holiday Light Experience – A Total In-Car Event for 2020. The popular North Texas tradition that features a two-mile display of lights along the shores of Joe Pool Lake. It kicks off on Thanksgiving night under socially-distant safety protocols and a special reduced ticket price.
Officials at the City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department have announced the park will reopen for a 15th year on Thanksgiving night – safely and with almost no adjustments required for visitors, thanks to the event’s already-baked-in socially-distanced structure.
The drive-through holiday park experience showcases a stunning display of more than five million lights arranged in hundreds of festive holiday scenes. While the park’s out-of-car experience (the Holiday Village) will not open this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will feature a new drive-through concession option. Also, one of the most popular light installations – the animated grand-finale tunnel – will once again be in place to delight visitors as they make their exit from the park.
Since its premiere in 2005, Prairie Lights has become one of the top holiday attractions in the region, drawing more than 29,000 vehicles and 165,000 guests last year alone. Despite COVID restrictions, city officials say they are expecting an even stronger turnout this year.
“Given the challenges of this year, people need something fun, exciting, and comfortingly familiar to look forward to this holiday season, and for thousands of North Texans, that’s Prairie Lights,” said Duane Strawn, Executive Director for the city’s Parks, Arts and recreation department.
He added that while fun is a top priority, safety is an even bigger one.
“People also need to know that they’re going to enjoy a safe experience, and given the fact that we already have 14 years of practice under our belt when it comes to offering a large-scale, drive-through only experience, plus the minor safety adjustments we’ve made to this year’s event, we’re quite confident that we’ll be able to meet our guests’ expectations,” he said.
This year’s event will also offer a special discounted admission price, as well as a continued revival of the popular “Fast Pass” option that allows guests to upgrade their experience and bypass the line.
2020 PRAIRIE LIGHTS FAST FACTS:
- Produced by the City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department
November 26-December 31 (Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve), 6-10 PM daily
Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake - $30 per car (up to eight people), price reduced for 2020. A Fast Pass (line jump pass) is available for $99. Additional fees apply for limos, shuttles, and commercial vehicles.
- Follow Prairie Lights on social media for special offers (such as the annual Prairie Lights “Cyber Monday” ticket sale the Monday after Thanksgiving) and for inclement weather announcements.
- NEW THIS YEAR: Since Santa is practicing social distancing, he won’t be able to make his annual visit to the Prairie Lights Holiday Village—however, he will be offering virtual greetings via personalized video messages sponsored by the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce and via the Prairie Lights website, https://prairielights.org/.
