A drive-through review
Lee Greeson, the 7-year-old son of Times Free Press Sports Editor Jay Greeson, recently took a spin through Christmas Nights of Lights, the massive light show at Camp Jordan in East Ridge. Here is his take: "OK, I'm not the best typer, but I think I am ready to do my first typing article ever. Last night, I went to my first visit at Camp Jordan. It was the best. "There was a Santa and a snowman made of lights that sang the songs on the radio; it was so funny. The coolest thing about it was that the lights responded the music. "My favorites were the snowflakes. "The 100.3 (FM) music was awesome but only worked at Camp Jordan! "Let It Snow" was the best song for me. "My favorite light colors are red, blue, yellow and green. There were lots and lots of them. "I hope my family gets to go back soon."
When Summer Jenkins Ross and her husband, Scott, took their two young sons to Christmas Nights of Lights in East Ridge, her 4-year-old, Paxton, was convinced they must have made a magical journey.
"Upon pulling up, my 4-year-old said, 'This MUST be the North Pole,'" she says. "We also managed to convince him and our 6-year-old (Parker) that the lights from planes landing at the airport were lights on Santa's sleigh. They loved it!"
The Rosses are among thousands who have visited the Christmas Nights of Lights, a 1.5-mile drive-through light show open until Jan. 3 at Camp Jordan. This is the first year the show has been in Chattanooga and, according to its promoters, there are about 4,500 LED light strands with 70 lights per strand producing more than 300,000 individual lights. Controlled by computers, the show, which runs in a 20-minute loop, takes about 10 miles of wiring and network to connect it all.
The Times Free Press asked readers to post their impressions of the attraction on the newspaper's Facebook Page. More than 100 people left comments. The majority say they enjoyed Nights of Lights, which debuted on Nov. 15, and the way it synchronized music -- played through the car radio -- with the flashing, blinking, winking lights.
"We all loved it!" enthused Dana Calma Cheatwood, who lives in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and took her three boys -- 10-year-old Tyler, 6-year-old Logan and 10-month-old Reegan. "I was able to take my baby to see Christmas lights in the warmth of our car. The price was just right. Six dollars a person is very reasonable. You can't do anything else for $6 a person and the lights were wonderful. Tons and tons of lights."
IF YOU GO
* What: Christmas Nights of Lights. * Where: Camp Jordan, 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge. * When: Dusk until at least 10 p.m. weeknights, later on weekends. * Admission: $25 per vehicle with limit of nine people; $6 per person in vehicles with four passengers or less; free for children under 3; special rates for church buses. * Information: 423-490-0078 or christmasnightsoflights.com.
"Been three times!!" gushed Debbie Carbaugh Daniels, who lives in Dalton, Ga. "Took grandson and my elderly parents and friends. Everyone absolutely loved them!!! Awesome job!!"
Steven Reidinger of Bryant, Ala., took in the sights with his parents, his wife and their 20-month-old son, Parker.
"My son sat in the front seat and enjoyed every single minute of it," he says.
Regina McFarland-Lowery of Rossville took her family on Thanksgiving night and says they were "enchanted."
"I'm 42, my oldest daughter's 25 and my baby girl is 14, then there's my 3-year-old grandson. It was beautiful, we were enchanted. Grandson didn't get antsy," she says.
Marvin "Stump" Martin, head of the East Ridge Parks and Recreation Department, says more than 15,000 vehicles have been through Nights of Light so far and, by the time it ends, that number should rise to more than 20,000.
"It's one of the strongest shows we've ever opened," says Richie King, owner of Titan Light Shows, which is producing the event. "We're tickled to death."
Although most Facebook comments were positive, there were some negative ones, with most complaints centered on the price of $25 per car (limit of nine per car).
"We've wanted to take the kids so bad but, like most folks on here, we can't afford $25 for the four of us," says Leslie Bowen Fout of Tunnel Hill, Ga., "especially this close to the holidays."
"Too expensive!" says Lisa Brinkley Rhodes of Cleveland, Tenn.
For vehicles with four people or less, the price is $6 per person; children under 3 are free and church groups in buses pay $5 per person. Discounted tickets for $18.99 per car are available at Costco, Martin says, and other businesses have already called, asking if they can sell tickets next year. He says Titan sets the prices, not East Ridge.
King, whose Bristol, Tenn.-based company has produced Christmas light shows in Mobile, Ala., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Nashville over the past six years, says they tried to price Nights of Lights as a family friendly event. That's why a car with four people or less pays $6 per person, a price that "a single mom with a couple of kids" can afford, he says.
"You can't go eat at McDonald's for $6 a person," he says with a laugh.
And the more people you have in your vehicle, the cheaper the price per person becomes, he notes. With six in a car, for instance, admission is about $4 per person.
Chattanooga's Ashley Kirch at first balked at the $25 per car fee, then she took the ride.
"Thought the price was ridiculous until we saw everything," she says. "Twenty-five dollars for a family is worth it. Although I hope, if they make it an annual thing, the price goes down a little. They'd definitely have return business."
The Santa Village, held underneath tents at the end of the drive, also drew some heat, mostly at the cost for kids to jump in the inflatables -- $10 for the first child, $8 per kid after that. Kaysea Leighann Evans of Summerville, Ga., says she "loved" Nights of Lights, but she wasn't so enamored of Santa Village.
"The prices for the bouncy houses were ridiculous. I wasn't about to pay $10 per kid," she says, adding: "I believe the price for the lights were worth it."
Martin notes that proceeds from Santa Village are going to the East Ridge Fire and Police Needy Child Fund while some money from Night of Lights' admission fee will go to the Ronald McDonald House and the Salvation Army. And, "just like any festival or carnival, the prices on the food, fun and the crafts or items that are purchased are set by the vendors who are paying to be in Santa's Village," he adds.
"As we do for any event in our park, we provide fire and police protection and the Parks and Recreation crew works to make sure our clients want to come back," he says.
Kelsi Jane Lisk of Copperhill, Tenn., raved about the free photos with Santa that kids (and adults, if they so desire) can get in the village.
"Just bring your camera -- awesome!" she says.
Contact Shawn Ryan at 423-757-6327 or sryan@timesfreepress.com.