Denison -- Christmas is a time of wonder, from the reason for the season -- the miraculous birth of our Savior Jesus Christ in a Bethlehem manger -- to the holiday magic of a child's face when they see the gift Santa dropped off sometime during the night.
So, it should come as no surprise that, at least for the next month, the entrance to the North Pole is conveniently located in North Texas.
More than any other time of the year, the Christmas holidays are filled with fun family traditions. For 10 years, one popular family tradition has been a drive through the impressive Grayson County Lights display at Loy Lake Park in Denison.
This is a free holiday lights display, but visitors filled with the holiday spirit gladly fill a donation bucket held by a volunteer at the exit.
And just how popular has the Grayson County Lights display become over the past decade?
Anna McKinney, president of the Denison Chamber of Commerce predicts as many as 70,000 visitors will tour the drive-through display before the lights are turned off at 10:00 p.m. December 26.
A ceremony was held Friday, November 26 to officially open the Grayson County Lights display.
"On behalf of the Holiday Lights Committee, we welcome you here tonight," retired Grayson County Judge Horace Groff told the opening-night crowd only moments before the hills surrounding Loy Lake Village were lit up by 350,000 watts of colorful Christmas lights.
Special mention was given to Oliver Dewey Mayor Foundation and the Bank of America Clara Blackford Smith & W. Aubrey Smith Foundations for their continued support of the popular holiday lights display.
Patiently standing behind Judge Groff were two stout draft horses waiting to pull a wagon packed with the first tour group of 2010. Grayson County Commissioner David Whitlock held the reins. This was the second year Commissioner Whitlock gave visitors an opportunity to experience the Grayson County Lights display by wagon.
Inside Frontier Village at Loy Lake Park, Donna Hunt, Linda Miller, Sharla Mullens and Geraldine Campbell were handing out hot apple cider to take the chill out of the night.
Grayson County Purchasing Agent Jeff Schneider deserves credit for countless hours dedicated every year to make this display grow into a regional attraction.
While no one knows the staggering number of lights assembled in this remarkable display, Mr. Schneider knows how many replacement lights need to be purchased on an annual basis.
"This year we had to buy 7,500 lights, but it was a light year, no pun intended," Schneider says with a smile. "Last year we had to buy 10,000 lights."
The Grayson County Lights display continues through Sunday, December 26 from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Map: http://www.co.grayson.tx.us/Special/LoyLake/LoyLake.htm
