Christmas in the Park provides fun viewing and charitable giving

By John Sharp

Jackson County’s 37th annual Christmas in the Park drive-through display of over a half-million Christmas lights in 200 animated lighting displays on the east side of Longview Lake is now open nightly through New Year’s Eve.

Persons may enter the free display by going south on View High Drive from either I-470 or from E. 109th Street (which runs on top of the Longview Lake dam from Raytown Road to View High Drive) and following the frequent Christmas in the Park signs to View High Drive’s next signalized intersection with SW Longview Road, then turning west and going past the Longview Community Center and entering the display at the Frank White Jr. Softball Complex.

The colorful attraction which includes new displays designed and built by the Jackson County Parks + Rec Department staff is open from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Although admission is free, visitors to the attraction are given the opportunity to make voluntary donations as they are leaving to the 40 local charities that help at the event. Since its inception, the event has raised over $1.3 million to benefit local charities.

Assuming I recover from upcoming hip surgery in time to participate, I plan to volunteer as usual with the Hickman Mills Educational Foundation that raises money for scholarships for Ruskin High School seniors and grants for district teachers for special projects on Saturday, December 28, so please say hi if you drive through that night.