About 2 million holiday lights will be on display for the Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, said Madeline Graham, director of the Gift of Lights program.
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Graham said Gift of Lights is a 1.5-mile drive-thru light show that will run from Nov. 23 to Jan. 7. Participants will pay a fee per car, Graham said, adding that he expects about 20,000 cars to show up. 100,000 people watch the light show.
Additionally, a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to Speedway Children’s Charities and shared among 17 local and regional charities.
“Supporting the community and supporting families is deeply ingrained in the nature of our events,” Graham said. “We want to know that a portion of the money from every car that enters the show goes back into the community.”
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Once past the ticket line, the show takes attendees to the speedway’s grandstand.
“You can see the truck from a lot of different places,” Graham said. “You go right under the bleachers. You blend into the truck the whole time.”
Graham said the show consists of about 25 unique displays, called scenes, on both sides of the road. On average, it takes about 25 minutes to view the entire display.
“Some displays range from 45 feet tall to 4 to 5 feet high,” Graham said. “It’s an incredibly immersive experience.”
Graham said there is no overarching theme for the show. However, some scenes within the show have a theme.
“There’s the Grinch,” Graham said. “We have patriotism, we have ‘Hymn to Texas,’ we have religious (displays).”
what else?
Graham said Winterland, the company that owns Gift of Lights, is a family-owned company that started doing drive-through light shows at Texas Motor Speedway in 2010.
Winterland eventually partnered with Speedway Motorsports and now operates light shows at four of the company’s tracks.
Graham said setting up the display will take two to four weeks, depending on weather and other conditions.
Graham added that there will also be themed nights at Gift of Lights, although these have not yet been announced. Past theme nights include “Pajama Night” and “Pet Night.” Participants who match the theme will receive a discount when purchasing tickets.
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