Bright Nights Ahead
PROSPECT — That won't be the North Pole shimmering at the Big Butler Fairgrounds Friday night.
Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland returns for its third season of Christmas displays in Butler, filling the venue with its lights from tonight through Jan. 7.
“This is our third year of bringing Christmas to Butler County,” Josh Hawk, Shadrack's marketing director, said. “We love Butler County.”
Open from 6 to 10 p.m. every night and possibly later on Saturdays and Sundays, guests will enter the fairgrounds and turn their headlights off, before proceeding down a lane flanked by hundreds of thousands of LED lights. Guests also may tune their radio to a designated frequency to hear music synchronized with the flashing displays.
The displays take shape in classic Christmas scenes, but Hawk said there will also be some twists this year.
“We have a brand new section of the show that features a new twist on some of your favorite childhood tales,” he said.
The theme will include homages to stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack be Nimble, the Princess and the Frog and more.
Beyond the lights, the driving route leads into Santa's Village. From Nov. 17 to Dec. 23, guests can meet and take a photograph with Santa Claus, and shop for souvenirs while enjoying refreshments like hot cocoa, kettle corn and more. There also will be rides for children and stations for writing letters to Santa.
Hawk said families in the area are beginning to make their visits a tradition, and he hopes to continue facilitating the county's holiday spirit.
“Our fans tell us this through comments and reviews from our social media pages,” he said. “Our shows grow in popularity every year.”
The Butler County Tourism Bureau has maintained its partnership with the event since it first secured a 5-year contract with the company, according to Jack Cohen, the bureau's president.
“This is really nice for citizens of the region,” Cohen said. “It's a good chance to spend quality time with your family.”
Cohen said the event has continued to grow even beyond its year of inception, which saw 30,000 vehicles visit the displays.“We had traffic backed up all the way back to (Route) 422,” he said.Cohen said the cars don't create backups on Route 422 anymore, but not for lack of numbers. He said Shadrack's has evolved with the event and the community to provide enjoyment every year with new themes and betters ways of operation.“It's gotten stronger,” Cohen said.Cohen said he and his family attended last year's displays.“We had a great time,” he said. “They love coming out.”Hawk said the event is unique, and it has the potential to continue evolving with the community to provide a tradition that could last a lifetime.“Years of Christmas cheer,” Hawk said. “It's the only Christmas Light Show of its kind in the world.”
