Christmas Light Displays

As a child, one of the things I loved about the Christmas season was hopping in the car with my parents and touring through the local neighborhoods to look at the Christmas decorations. My father never decorated our house (he always gave us some excuse about the lights using too much electricity), but he did take us to look at the lights put on display by others. We’d roam around for a few hours listening to Christmas carols and appreciating the creativity (and sometimes poor taste) of those who adorned their houses with lights and other seasonal items. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we were creating memories and a tradition that would follow me into adulthood.

I still enjoy Christmas Light displays, even the tacky ones. Most of all, I like the new displays that are completely choreographed to music. There’s one in Plano not far from our house, and it’s hilarious. Gary and I go there at least once during the holiday season, turn off the car, crank the radio to the proper channel, and watch the wild light show. Hey, don’t judge — it’s festive, free and fun!

We’ll be touring through Deerfield to look at the lights this weekend with a small group from our church. Deerfield offers offer a neat horse-drawn carriage ride that’s even better when you mix it with friends and kids. If you haven’t done it yet, I highly recommend it. Bring a few blankets if it’s cold.

If you’re wondering where to go to view some good holiday light displays in the Dallas area, check out these recommendations from Guidelive.com:

• CHRISTMAS IN THE SQUARE. An elaborate nightly light display featuring reindeer, stars and more brightens the area around Frisco’s City Hall Plaza. It blinks along to holiday music that you can tune in to on your car radio. There’ll also be family-friendly activities Dec. 12-13 and Dec. 19- 20, including carriage rides, a trackless train ride, photos with Santa and a train display. The light display continues nightly from 5:30 to 10 through Jan. 1.
• DEERFIELD. This is traditionally one of Collin County’s biggest neighborhood displays. Expect to see Santas and sleighs, cheerful snowmen, Nativity scenes and just about every other type of holiday decoration you could imagine brightening yards throughout. The Plano neighborhood covers a large area north of Legacy Drive between Preston and Coit roads.
• HIGHLAND PARK. Homes are decked out with bright lights and festive lawn displays. Drive through or book a horse-drawn carriage tour departing from Highland Park Village or the Shops of Highland Park. Neighborhood displays are in the area south of Preston and Mockingbird.
• INTERLOCHEN. This Arlington neighborhood features winding streets with fountains and ponds – and tons of lights. The display runs Dec. 13 through 25, nightly from dusk to 11:30 p.m. The Arlington neighborhood is between Interstate 30 and West Division Street, off West Randol Mill Road. Motorists should enter the neighborhood from Randol Mill at Westwood Drive.
• PRAIRIE LIGHTS. Grand Prairie’s annual drive-through light display features more than 3 million twinkling lights in scenic displays, which are set along a 2-mile winding road. Also, check out activities such as carousel rides, a gift shop, food vendors and photos with Santa at the Holiday Village area. Hours are Fridays, Saturdays, Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31 from 6 to 10 p.m.; Sundays through Thursdays 6 to 9 p.m. Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake, 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie.
• TOUR OF LIGHTS. Follow the candy cane signs through a display featuring more than 300,000 lights in Farmers Branch. Tour of Lights: Continues nightly through Dec. 31 and starts at Interstate 35 East and Valley View.