Christmas Light Delights in the Grand Rapids Area

Are you looking for unique Christmas activities? Whether you're amusing young children or trying to impress a new date, the Grand Rapids Area has two professional Christmas displays to fulfill your needs. The NiteLites Christmas Show at 5/3 Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan is beginning it's eleventh year on Nov. 21, 2008. This is a drive-thru display, so stay cozy! Stay warm! Located directly off exit 91 on US 131N, this path of electric Christmas cheer, stretches one mile through the stadium parking lot.

The landscape is speckled with giant snowflakes, grazing deer, and decorated trees. The larger displays include an angel tree, Santa playing a variety of sport games, a Loch Ness monster wearing a santa hat, Santa's train, and a Nativity scene. Being a professional gawker, this drive-thru display is perfect for my traffic-stopping tendencies. The path is lit on both sides with strings of lights. There is an extra wide area for snail-paced drivers, such as myself. This way I can stare and others can drive around. Everyone's happy! Some people even take pictures of the displays!

The show runs Nov. 21 2008- Jan 03 2009, every night, 6-10pm. Admission for cars and vans is $10.00. Larger vehicles cost more,($18.00 and higher), so be prepared! Santa makes an appearance from 6-930pm Dec 4-7, and Dec. 11-23. Visits with Santa are free, but pictures require a small fee. Local radio station 95.7 is a sponsor, which also plays Christmas music all day and night. If you prefer to bring your own music, I suggest "A Charlie Brown Christmas" or George Winston's "December".

The second event, Christmas and Holiday Traditions around the World, runs Nov. 19, 2008-Jan 04,2009. Located at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park just off the East Beltline, this is an event exploding with Christmas culture. It's a little pricier, but the "Gardens" never disappoint. This display includes 40 different Christmas trees from around the globe. The park boasts of 300,000 lights and a new Santon display from France. There are also three special displays of the Chinese New Year, the Muslim Eid ul-Fitr, and Parol's traditions of the Phiipines. Don't stop with trees and lights, let's throw in horse drawn carriage rides and carolers! This sounds so nostalgiac. However, carriage rides are by reservation only and run on Tuesdays, Nov18-Dec. 23, and Dec26/27, and Dec. 29/30. The price for members is $50.00 and non-members is $80.00. Apparently, this price includes the park admission on the day of your scheduled carriage ride. Also included in this event are activities for kids. Your kids can learn to play the Hanukkah dreidl game, read Christmas books, and make traditional decorations and/or ornaments from other countries.

Park hours are M W Th F S 9am-5pm Tuesdays 9am-9pm and Sundays 12pm-5pm. Park admission is $14.00 for adults. Seniors, students w/ Id, kids, and toddlers have reduced fees. Happy Holidays!!