Photos Courtesy of the Museum of Science and Nature
The Celebration of Lights at SMU uses more than 138,000 lights. (Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)
It is 9:30 a.m. on a chilly November day, and Bruno Macias and his team from Park Cities Lights have barely begun to hang the Christmas lights on a large house on Armstrong Parkway. They have adorned almost every bush along the pathways surrounding the house and some of the trees in the yard. Balancing precariously on a tall ladder, a worker manages to hang another strand along the rooftop.
This is the busiest time of year for companies like Park Cities Christmas Lights that decorate houses in Highland Park where residents go all out during the holiday season. This area has become famous in Dallas for the light displays put on by the residents each year, which is a tradition that has lasted for nearly 50 years.
The Highland Park lights not only attract onlookers but have also created a great business opportunity for light companies and other organizations during the holidays. However, such a fantastic light show does not come with a small price tag; some houses can cost thousands to decorate with the size of most of the properties in Highland Park, this is no small feat. The trees themselves can cost as much as $30,000 to light.
“You would be amazed at how much money is spent on just the lights,” Macias said. “We use thousands of lights just to cover the bushes and trees, and for these families it’s go big or go