The Lions Clubs of Grand Forks are once again preparing for Christmas in the Park, an annual display of holiday decorations and lights in Lincoln Drive Park that raises money for area charities.
This year's display will be open for drive-through visitors from Nov. 23 through Dec. 31, a news release said. Last year, more than 4,000 cars toured Christmas in the Park.
A few of the 67 50-foot lots still are available for rent. Each year, churches, organizations, businesses, neighborhoods and individual families rent the lots, then build elaborate displays to be enjoyed during the holiday season.
The sixth annual Christmas in the Park display will be open from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Nov. 23 through Dec. 30, and from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 31. The fee for driving through will be $5 per car, $10 per limo and $20 per bus.
Profits go to various charities, including American Diabetes Association, area youth programs and American Red Cross. Other programs that receive help provide eye exams and glasses for children, leader dogs for the blind and area camps for the disabled, plus the North Dakota School for the Blind, Boy and Girls Scouts, and Third Street Clinic.
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Several new displays will be added this year, including one by the Lions Clubs that will feature an animated light display set to holiday music. The Lions will hand out candy canes to all children.
Dec. 11 will be Military Appreciation Day at Christmas in the Park. All military personnel and their families with appropriate identification will be admitted free.
Besides raising money for charities, the Lions news release said, the philosophy behind Christmas in the Park is simple: there can never be too much Christmas cheer.
