Fantasy Lights Digital Guide 2023

holiday tradition

Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

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elcome to the 29th annual Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park, the largest drivethrough display of holiday lights in the Pacific Northwest, presented by Pierce County Parks! For 43 magical nights, a beloved local holiday tradition returns to the park earlier, bigger, and brighter than ever before. This stunning 2.2-mile drive along the shores of Spanaway Lake is welcomed by thousands throughout the region each year.

Fantasy Lights is a holiday tradition for our community that transcends generations. It is a family-friendly event with endless photo opportunities that everyone can enjoy. As you drive along the illuminated pathway, you will encounter a giant Santa Ship and the popular 3-D Teddy Bear that appeals to the child in all of us. This season, Fantasy Lights has more than 300 elaborate displays that promise to dazzle the eye, inspire the heart, and engage the imagination of eventgoers of all ages.

Since its first opening in 1995, Fantasy Lights has grown in prominence, featuring a mere 38 light displays. Pierce County wanted to create an affordable, family-focused program that would showcase one of Pierce County’s amazing parks during the winter month, appeal to all age groups, and help create a true sense of community between citizens, local businesses, service groups, and the Parks department.

Partnerships with local businesses, schools, and community groups have been key to the success of Fantasy Lights. These partnerships have allowed the event to change and grow into one of the premier drive-through lighting events. This year, Bates Technical College welding program students have built a giant sparkly kraken octopus to add to the long list of displays they have constructed and contributed to the event since getting involved in 1996.

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Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

Fantasy Lights continuously works towards decreasing the event’s carbon footprint through a program to replace old incandescent lights with energy-efficient LED lights, and this year attendees can expect to see the Penguin and Igloo and several of the holiday ornaments get a boost of LED energy through a partnership with Pierce County Planning & Public Works.

To enhance your holiday experience, tune your radio to AM 1700 while in the park to get all the event safety information and a variety of holiday music that will be sure to brighten your experience. At Fantasy Lights, we believe that everyone should be able to enjoy the holiday season, which is why we offer affordable discount nights for families and friends to come together and create unforgettable memories. The cost per car or van ranges from just $10 to $20, making it a budget-friendly option for all.

This year, we will be opening the park earlier than ever before. From November 17 to 19, you can drive through our stunning light displays before the Thanksgiving holiday. Fantasy Lights runs every night, including holidays, from November 24, 2023, through January 1, 2024, and will be open for viewing from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Families can enjoy the sights and sounds of this winter wonderland from the comfort of their vehicles, no matter their ages, physical restrictions, or the weather conditions. Pierce County Parks hopes that Fantasy Lights will become part of your holiday tradition!

If you are interested in learning more about Fantasy Lights or how you can become a partner, please contact Mark Richards at (253) 798-4030 or mark.richards@piercecountywa.gov.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

Welding program students at Bates Technical College Krak down on this year’s display The 10-foot Kraken Octopus makes its deput at Fantasy Lights

By Chelsea Lindquist, Bates Technical College For nearly three decades, Bates Tech’s Welding program students have been adding their unique touch to the magical wonder of Spanaway Park’s Fantasy Lights. Year after year, crafting enchanting displays has become a cherished tradition, often featuring iconic symbols of the Pacific Northwest. This holiday season, the tradition continues with a project paying tribute to our beloved Kraken hockey team.

Standing at an impressive 10 feet tall, the colossal Seattle Kraken Octopus sculpture bedazzles with its radiant tentacles, captivating everyone passing through the park during the annual holiday light display.

This project is a valued partnership between the college and Pierce County Parks and Recreation, offering students invaluable hands-on experience and insight into the planning of such a display, which starts much earlier than one might expect.

Each year, Parks and Recreation staff provide the Welding program instructors with a sketch of the proposed design, which the students then bring to life. They meticulously lay out the design and grid on the shop floor, then work together to bend, cut, and weld the pieces, forming the three separate components, including the two tentacles and head.

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Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

Welding program instructor, Liberty Olson, welcomes the educational opportunity this project offers. “This project provides students with a terrific opportunity to collaborate and apply their skills. It is rewarding for them to see the final outcome of their hard work,” says Olson.

By mid-October, the project is completed and transported to the park on a flatbed truck, where it is adorned with shimmering lights for all to enjoy.

Bates-built scenes and figures can be found around every bend of the 2.2-mile drive-through event, including last year’s display of the Space Needle.

Bates students have contributed more than 130 display pieces for Fantasy Lights, including the stalking Sasquatch, the grand pirate ship, rows of sunny daffodils and cherry-red tulips, aquatic creatures like the whale introduced in 2018, troops of twinkling elves, Old Man Winter, and a towering dinosaur, among others.

B a t e s T ech W el d i n g p r o g r a m s t u d en t s ( L - R) L o ga n Boma n , B e n B l a n t o n , Jen n i fe r A l l r e a d , Eb r i n y G u n h u s , a n d C a d e n G effr e cr a ft ed t h i s ye a r ’ s d i s p l a y d u r i n g F a l l Qu a rt e r.

The imaginative holiday scenes and strong community partnerships make Fantasy Lights a truly unique and festive experience, forming a cherished relationship for the college.

Dr. Lin Zhou, President of Bates Technical College, emphasizes the significance of this long-standing relationship, stating, “This rewarding partnership with Fantasy Lights began nearly 30 years ago and highlights this colorful hands-on learning tradition for our students. Every holiday season, we eagerly anticipate being a part of it.”

2022 About Bates Technical College Founded in 1940, Bates Technical College is a public college that offers certificate and degree opportunities in 45+ career education programs and serves approximately 3,000 career training students and 5,000 more community members annually in extended learning, distance learning, high school, and other programs. For more information, visit BatesTech.edu, or call (253) 680-7000.

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community

Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

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Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

thank you fantasy lights Sponsors & Partners: Without the generous contribution of our event sponsors and partners, we would not be able to bring the magic of Fantasy Lights to our community. Thank you for helping us create unforgettable memories for families and friends this holiday season!

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community

Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

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Pierce County Parks - Fantasy Lights | 2023-2024

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