[title subtitle=”words: Catherine Frederick and courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
images:courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism “][/title]
More than fifty communities around our great state participate in the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights, offering everything from caroling, to tree and town lighting, to open houses, to parades and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Check out the light displays below, and then find additional information at Arkansas.com. Merry Christmas!
BENTON
Downtown Benton’s parade is at 6pm on December 3rd.
Visits with Santa (In the gazebo) on the 3rd, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th & 21st, from 6–8pm. Santa (inside the courthouse) on the 7th, for our friends with special needs. Character Night, with characters like Batman and Minnie Mouse, on the 14th.
BENTONVILLE
Holiday lights illuminate the square through New Year’s Day. Lights on the Square are on from dusk until dawn. The DBI Christmas parade starts at 11am on the 8th.
BLYTHEVILLE
Blytheville comes alive with six million lights and more than forty-eight major motion displays. The drive-through covers 1.5-miles. Jingle Bell Park has Santa’s Workshop, and hayrides.
CONWAY
Illuminate will feature a Ferris wheel, mini-train rides for kids, live music, a food truck, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a visit from Santa Claus! The events at Rogers Plaza will be going on nightly through the 23rd, but the tree will stay lit until the 31st. Mistletoe Madness kicks off the final two weeks before Christmas. The Christmas parade is at 6pm on the 8th, with a holiday market on the 9th.
FAYETTEVILLE
More than 400,000 lights illuminate the Square each evening from 5pm to 1am, through the 31st. Pony rides, fresh hot chocolate, and festive holiday music!
FORT SMITH
Enjoy open-air holiday markets, take a journey through the animated lights on the Creekmore Holiday Express. Help adorn Fort Smith National Cemetery with thousands of wreaths. Attend holiday performances by the Fort Smith Symphony, Western Arkansas Ballet, Fort Smith Little Theatre, and more!
GREENWOOD
Holiday Trail of Lights, with LED lighting, can be seen through the 26th. Holiday events are scheduled at Bell Park throughout the month. Discover them all at greenwoodarkansas.com.
HOT SPRINGS
Hot Springs festoons its historic downtown with lights, while Garvan Woodland Gardens shines with more than four million lights. The most celebrated outdoor light display in Arkansas runs through New Year’s Eve (closed Christmas Day).
MAGNOLIA
Enjoy the lights on the courthouse, then walk through the illuminated Wilson Traylor Gardens. Merrytime in Magnolia starts on the 7th, with two days of ice skating, a human-sized snow globe, a gingerbread house contest, carolers, sleigh rides, and Santa!
PARIS
Visit the Santa Hut, 7 days a week in December. Enjoy more than 100,000 sparkling lights, and free horse and buggy rides on Saturday evenings. Don’t miss the romantic three-course dinner on the Square, held on the 8th, with a live auction, horse and buggy rides. Tickets available by calling 479.963.2244.
VAN BUREN
Jump on the Holiday Pajama Train! Tickets available at
amrailroad.com. The Annual Jingle & Mingle on Main Street, Living Windows displays, Lighting of the Courthouse and Festival of Trees take place on the 1st. The Main Street Christmas parade is on the 8th, at 6:30pm.
These are only a few of the communities taking part this year. More information can be found at Arkansas.com. We’d love to see photos of your Christmas lights! Send them to editors@dosouthmagazine. We’ll share as many as we can through social media.
