By Mary Ann Bourbeau
HOLMDEL – Santa Claus is back at the PNC Arts Center this year, and so is the Buydig.com Holiday Lights Spectacular.
After a seven-year hiatus, the dazzling 2.5-mile drive through the winter wonderland has returned with all of its former glory and a lot of new features. The drive-through portion of the exhibit consists of more than 150 light displays containing more than a million lights.
“We are so excited to bring this back to the community,” said Jorelle Aronovitch, general manager of the PNC Bank Arts Center, which is operated by Live Nation. “There is not enough to do with kids this time of year when it’s so cold outside.”
Aronovitch said PNC Bank Arts Center stopped hosting the Holiday Lights Spectacular because several other venues nearby, including Six Flags Great Adventure, had similar displays.
“We had a lot of competition and attendance dropped off,” she said. “We had the same audience, but since they don’t have it anymore, we decided to bring it back.”
Kids and parents can all keep warm while driving through the winding roads filled with displays. Holiday music is simulcast on 102.5 FM radio, and this year, 3-D glasses will be offered for sale at the gate to make the displays even more eye-catching.
While inside, visitors can park their cars and enter the JCP&L Holiday Village, a heated area within the park where Santa will pose for pictures. There will be a hay maze for the children and an antique toy display featuring train sets, planes and toys from decades past such as tiddlywinks. Hot cider, eggnog, hot chocolate and other sweets will be offered for sale, and children will have the opportunity to decorate their own gingerbread cookies.
“It’s a great place to get warm, have a cup of hot chocolate and see Santa,” Aronovitch said. “But Mrs. Santa won’t be there. She’s too busy supervising the workers up at the North Pole.”
Outside the holiday village will be light displays that were designed by children from New Jersey schools. In January, those displays will be donated back to the schools.
There is also a full-size ice skating rink in the North Plaza, courtesy of AmeriHealth. Skate rentals are available or visitors may bring their own skates. In keeping with the theme, there are light displays around the skating rink as well.
“It’s great for the whole family,” Aronovitch said.
New this year is a luge run, sponsored by Retro Fitness, where patrons can race down a 100-foot ice slide in a tube. Tickets are two rides for $5 and riders must be at least 48-inches tall.
“We wanted to add something that we’ve never done before, so we got a fast, crazy luge slide,” Aronovitch said.
On several evenings, choirs from area schools will sing songs of the season at the entrance to the Holiday Village. The Shore Regional High School Chorus will sing Wednesday, Dec. 10; The Shrewsbury Borough School Band and Chorus on Tuesday, Dec. 16; Lacey Township Choirs on Wednesday, Dec. 17; and The Cedar Creek Elementary School Chorus on Thursday, Dec. 18.
Workers began setting up the electric lines for this event in late summer while the venue was still holding concerts. The holiday lights began going up in late October in order to be ready for opening night, which was Nov. 20. The event runs through Sunday, Jan. 4. Between 30,000 and 50,000 cars are expected to visit the attraction over the holidays, Aronovitch said.
“People really seem to enjoy it, especially the animated displays,” she said.
The Holiday Lights Spectacular runs from dusk to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and from dusk to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The display will be closed Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 31.
Admission is $20 per car Monday to Thursday and $25 Friday to Sunday. Vans with 15 or more passengers are $30 and bus pricing is $50. Every Tuesday is “2 for Tuesdays,” when patrons can drive through the park a second time for free.
Additional information is available by visiting www.seetheholidaylights.com.
Vibe writer Mary Ann Bourbeau can be reached at mbourbeau@tworivertimes.com.
