Banner year for Prairie Lights
With the final figures in on Grand Prairie’s annual holiday light spectacular, Beverly Grogan, Lakes Park Special Events Coordinator, said, “2010 was a real banner year of Prairie Lights.”
She said with this season’s “grand weather,” Prairie Lights was open all 37 nights attracting more than 140,000 visitors, far exceeding 2009’s figure of more than 117,000 visitors.
“What’s great about Prairie Lights, it’s truly a community event,” Grogan said. This season had some challenges, Grogan said. The organization that has provided about 70 percent of the event’s volunteers, pulled out.
But, she said, civic organizations in record numbers stepped-in to fill the void. Many are already setting-up work night for this season.
The holiday extravaganza also proved to be an economic boost for the area. Not only did Grand Prairie make more than $100 thousand, many of the events sponsoring businesses reported dramatic increases.
Grogan said in feedback from visitors a common theme has emerged, visiting Holiday Lights is a family tradition.
“When you start hearing the word tradition, you know you’ve made an impact on some lives,” she said.
“There is a new aspect,” Grogan added. The lighted walk-through has become a romantic, holiday spot for marriage proposals. In the last three years there have been 12 proposals with one person adding his own special light display.
