For more than four decades, one of the larger holiday light displays in North Texas has called Arlington home and captivated visitors by the thousands. This year, from Dec. 15-25, The Lights of Interlochen will continue to shine bright and help inspire not only Christmas spirit, but pride in a community that has spread glad holiday tidings since 1975.
Each night from 7 p.m.-11 p.m., Arlington Police Department officers will navigate drivers through this wonderland of lights, setting up their annual control posts to help facilitate safe travel for tourists and neighbors.
What will they see? Every year, hundreds of homeowners in this northwest Arlington community near Interstate 30 celebrate the season by adorning their homes and property with festive lights and holiday-themed displays. Admission is free.
To help you plan your “Interlochen experience,” community members and the police department offer the following instructions:
Enter the Interlochen neighborhood from Westwood Drive at Randol Mill Road.
From Westbound I-30, take the Fielder Road exit and go south to Randol Mill Road. Turn right on Randol Mill Road and follow it to Westwood Drive.
From Eastbound I-30, take the Eastchase Parkway exit, turn east on Meadowbrook Boulevard to Randol Mill Road, then right on Randol Mill Road to Westwood Drive.
All other streets to the Interlochen neighborhood are closed. Left turns are prohibited from northbound Bowen at Westwood and northbound Oakwood at Randol Mill. All traffic will be forced to turn southbound on Crowley Road. Tour buses and limousines will not be allowed on Porto Bello Court.
Here are some safety tips:
Traffic must keep right at all times, leaving the left lane open for emergency vehicles and Interlochen homeowners.
Adults and children must be properly secured by safety belts and child safety seats. Pedestrian traffic is permitted. Roller skating in the street is prohibited by the Arlington Municipal Code. No solicitation or sales by any vendors or group will be allowed from any public roadway or public rights-of-way.
Visit during the week. Weekends are the highest traffic-volume days.
Pack a little patience. Traveling through the area could be slow.
But it’s worth the wait – The Lights of Interlochen have been voted “Texas’ Best Christmas Lights” by the viewers of the Texas Country Reporter TV Show and, even after 42 years, continue to be the gold standard of light displays.
