Bring your children and grandchildren to Mackenzie Park and enjoy a 60-year Lubbock tradition! Children from Lubbock and surrounding communities are invited to Santa Land’s Opening Ceremony on Saturday, December 10, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. Lubbock City Council members will welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus from the North Pole, turn on the Christmas lights in this winter village, and officially open Santa Land.
Lubbock Parks and Recreation has hosted Santa Land for the past 60 years, and admission for all ages is free. Santa Land is open every evening from December 10-23, 2016, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. nightly. Approximately 50,000 people visit Santa Land each year to see the festive holiday village with its huge lighted Christmas tree, animated displays, bonfires, traditional holiday scenes, and of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus. Each evening at 6:00 p.m. during this 14-night event, a sleigh with tiny reindeer bring Santa and Mrs. Claus to Santa Land to hear the Christmas wishes of area children. Don’t forget to look for Bo, Santa Land’s very own Elf on the Shelf, each night and message your pictures of him to our Parks and Recreation Facebook page to enter a chance to win a $500 Gift Certificate from Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Families will enjoy live entertainment most evenings from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Hot chocolate and other refreshments are available for sale at the concession stand. Parents are welcome to bring cameras to take photos of their children with Santa at no charge. For those who forget their cameras, keepsake digital photos may be purchased for $5 each. The entrance to Santa Land is located off of the East Broadway entrance into Mackenzie Park east of Avenue A and the South Plains Fairgrounds.
Parks and Recreation is grateful to its sponsors and the Lubbock community for their help in underwriting Santa Land and for helping us bring this annual event to the children of West Texas at no charge. This year’s sponsors include Betenbough Homes, Raising Cane’s, Sonic Drive-in, Tom’s Tree Place, Academy Sports and Outdoors, David Drum Repair Service, Holiday Lite Source, Latino Lubbock Magazine, Abercrombie Lumber, Adams Paint, The Cakery, Faux Real Hair Design Studio, Gristy’s Cleaners, Joyland Amusement Park, Smith LP Gas Company, United Market Street, Lubbock Fire and Rescue, and Lubbock Police Department. For more information, contact Lubbock Parks and Recreation at 775-2673 or 775-2687, visit our website at www.playlubbock.com or follow us on Facebook.
(News release from the City of Lubbock)