Prairie Lights Opens Thanksgiving Night
Prairie Lights is a two-mile, drive-through holiday park experience featuring a stunning display of more than four million lights arranged in hundreds of festive scenes throughout the park. Since its premiere in 2005, Prairie Lights has become one of the top holiday attractions in the region, drawing *hundreds of thousands of visitors each year from North Texas and beyond. *Nearly 37,00 vehicles came through the park in 2021.
Popular Prairie Lights attractions include the Holiday Village, an out-of-car experience located just past the halfway point that offers seasonal concessions, shopping, carnival rides, and Photos with Santa (through Dec. 23); the gorgeous and strollable Lighted Walk-Thru Forest (located next to the Holiday Village); and the park’s famous animated exit tunnel.
For a premium experience, guests are encouraged to arrive early (pre-opening queueing is permitted) and visit the park on a weeknight; longer wait times should be expected once school dismisses, especially during the week leading up to Christmas. Pre-purchase of tickets is also recommended; visit prairielights.org to learn more. Prairie Lights is produced by the Grand Prairie Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department.
DATES/TIMES
Prairie Lights is open nightly from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, beginning at 6 pm. Guests may enter the line until 10 pm OR until the park reaches capacity, whichever happens first. Marked Prairie Lights vehicles will drive to the end of the line once the park stops accepting admissions; anyone in line ahead of the marked vehicles will be guaranteed the opportunity to enter the park.
Prairie Lights Ticket Information
General admission (which includes the entire Prairie Lights experience) is $50 per car; this covers all Prairie Lights attractions (except for Photos with Santa.) Additional general admission fees apply for limos and commercial vehicles. A $149 Fast Pass “line jump” upgrade is available on select nights; this ticket allows visitors to select their arrival time and bypass the line.
PRO TIPS
- Pre-purchase of online tickets is highly recommended. Cash or credit cards are required for Photos with Santa or purchase of holiday concessions.
- Allow plenty of time to fully enjoy the park—at least 45 minutes on slower nights, and up to three hours on holidays and weekends.
- To take advantage of shorter lines, consider visiting Monday-Thursday during the first two weeks of the event or the week between Christmas and New and Year’s Eve. Longer lines and wait times are anticipated on weekends and holidays, and on weeknights once schools dismiss for winter break. Early arrival is encouraged—guests are welcome to begin queueing up as early as 5 p.m.
- No vehicles will be allowed in line after 10 pm or when the park reaches capacity for the evening, whichever comes first. Once your vehicle is established in line, however, you can be assured of admission—Prairie Lights will remain open until the last guest has had a chance to drive through and enjoy the full Prairie Lights experience.
- Guests are encouraged to sign up for text message updates on the day of their planned visit by texting GPLIGHTS to 888-777.
- 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.
- For an optimal experience, turn off your headlights once you enter the park. For holiday music to soundtrack your drive, check out the official Prairie Lights 2022 playlist, available on Spotify.
- Make sure you have sufficient gas in your tank before getting in line.
- Find more Prairie Lights FAQs and Pro Tips (including a downloadable Prairie Lights Event Guide) here.
LOCATION
Lynn Creek Park | 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy | Grand Prairie, TX | 75052
Detailed directions available. The main entrance is for general admission only; the Fast Pass entrance is the same entrance as the Blue Sunshine Patio Bar & Grill (also known as the Oasis Restaurant).
