The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism calls it the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights. The brochure cover for this year's glowing festivities adds the message "20 Years of Christmas Magic!"
The Trail of Lights has grown into a seasonal big deal over the last two decades. The 24-page brochure lists 61 locations spanning the state, from Fayetteville to Crossett and El Dorado to Blytheville.
The trail of lights even has a mascot, pictured on the front of the brochure. He's a perky porker named Jingle. "In case you missed him last year, you can still meet Jingle the official holiday hog, who will visit select places on the trail," according to the brochure.
Activities at some of the 61 locations include parades, appearances by Santa Claus and shopping for seasonal gifts. Here's a sampler, covering some of the most elaborate layouts of lights. Most are free to view, although admission is charged at a few drive-through settings:
• Altus. More than 100,000 lights will illuminate this wine town's business district and city park during the holidays, with a Christmas parade set for 2 p.m. Dec. 13.
• Batesville. A 6 p.m. lighting ceremony Monday at Batesville Municipal Building will be followed by a Christmas parade at 7 p.m. Displays will include animated scenes, flashing lights sequenced to music and a 33-foot-tall snowman.
• Blytheville. Billed as the mid-South's biggest such display, Blytheville's Lights of the Delta boasts more than 6 million lights and 48 motion displays. Visitors will find Jingle Bell Park open each evening through Dec. 27.
• Crossett. Three miles north of Crossett, Christmas Wonderland opens this evening and continues nightly through New Year's Eve. The half-mile circuit of lights includes a drive-through lighted tunnel and several animated scenes.
• El Dorado. The Festival of Lights at Union County Courthouse, City Hall and across downtown shines nightly through New Year's Eve. Visitors can drive under one of the state's largest man-made trees. A Christmas parade starts at 7 p.m. Dec. 3.
• Fayetteville. The 22nd annual Lights of the Ozarks display is expanding this year from the downtown square all the way to Dickson Street. The lights will glow each night until New Year's Eve.
• Hot Springs. Garvan Woodland Gardens, on the outskirts of the Spa City, powers up more than 4 million lights on its 17 acres. Running through Dec. 31, the festivities include music in Anthony Chapel on weeknights and Santa in the gardens on select evenings.
• Newport. Scattered around Newport are 125 lighted Christmas trees, a complement to the eye-popping outdoor display at Jackson County Courthouse. New this year are seven larger-than-life Nutcracker soldiers near the Iron Mountain Depot.
• Pine Bluff. Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends is touted as Arkansas' largest drive-through display of Christmas lights. More than 240 vignettes are visible on the 1.3-mile circuit at Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Regional Park.
• Sherwood. For Pulaski County residents, this is the closest major lighting display -- and it's a humdinger. Starting Monday and continuing through Dec. 30, Sherwood Forest will display a mile-long trail of lights, including a tableau of a reindeer in a soda shop.
Little Rock and North Little Rock will have tree-lighting ceremonies as part of their parade festivities.
Little Rock's Big Jingle Jubilee holiday parade is scheduled to step off at 3 p.m. Dec. 5, followed by the state Capitol tree lighting at dusk. In North Little Rock, the Dec. 6 parade, starting at 2 p.m., will precede the Northern Lights Tree Lighting. Details on both events will appear in this section on Dec. 3.
A brochure detailing Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights locations can be downloaded at Arkansas.com.
Weekend on 11/26/2015