FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The Holiday Lights event at Parkview Field is celebrating its second season, drawing strong attendance and generating measurable economic benefits for the surrounding area. In its first year, the display attracted 100,000 visitors and featured 1 million lights. This year, organizers expanded the experience by adding 500,000 more lights, introducing fresh photo spots, and launching an entirely new light show.
Chris Darby, Digital Marketing Manager for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, noted that the enhancements have helped create a more immersive atmosphere. The event now also benefits from seasonal weather, with snowfall contributing to a more authentic holiday ambiance—a contrast to last year, when snow only appeared in the final days.
Attendees like Collin McCracken returned with their families, praising the inclusive environment that welcomes pets and offers festive activities. Local businesses are also seeing advantages. Staff at Conner’s Rooftop reported increased foot traffic compared to previous winters without the event. The bar has embraced the theme with elf-inspired cocktails and seasonal decor, drawing visitors before or after viewing the lights.
With the event running through January 3 and operating hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, Darby expects attendance to remain on par with or exceed last year’s numbers, especially as the Christmas holiday approaches.
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Organizers of Holiday Lights at Parkview Field talk 2nd year successes, economic impact
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Parkview Field’s Holiday Lights event is in its second year, and we caught up with organizers on how the event has been performing. n nBACKGROUND: Parkview Field holiday lights event returns for a second year n nFor its inaugural year, 100,000 people attended the event, which included 1 million lights. n n“Year number two, it’s a little bit bigger and better than last year. Added 500 thousand more lights, some new photo opportunities, and things like that, as well as a whole new light show,” said Chris Darby, Digital Marketing Manager for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. n nCollin McCracken brought his family back for the second year. n n“It’s just a really cool place to bring your family, and on a night like tonight, you can bring your dogs, which is really cool, so it’s good for the city to just keep having things to do,” McCracken said. n nOther than the new lights and displays, something was also introduced this year – snow. n n“Last year, we didn’t have any snow til the last two nights of the year, in January. It was all green grass up until then. This year we’ve had a little bit of everything, and it actually feels more kind of like the holiday season, more like Christmas.” n nWe spoke with staff at Conner’s Rooftop about how the event has been impacting their business. n n“Definitely a lot more foot traffic than, let’s say, a couple of winters ago, when we didn’t have it. Everyone loves to come down, check out the lights, check out us, our elf-themed bar with our elf-themed cocktails,” said Matt Pineno, Food and Beverage Manager at the rooftop bar. n nAs far as numbers go, the event is about halfway through its schedule, ending on January 3, and Darby has no doubt it will also be a successful run. n n“We’re pretty on track compared to where we were last year, and the closer we get to Christmas, the more we think people will be coming in here.” n nHours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. More details can be found here.,