Holiday Express

Fort Smith Parks & Recreation Department Lights up Parks Early This Year

(November 16, 2020) --The City of Fort Smith Parks & Recreation Department is pleased to announce that the holiday lights at Creekmore Park have been installed and are ready to light up the night sky! Traditionally, City Parks’ staff turns on the lights the Friday night following Thanksgiving. However, this year, the City has decided to flip the switch a little early – at 5 p.m. next Monday, November 23, 2020.

Parks and Recreation Director, Doug Reinert stated “The Parks Commission met last week and discussed the plans for this year’s holiday light display and the operation of the Holiday Express Train. Given we are still in the middle of a pandemic, The Parks Commission determined the safest way to proceed would be to NOT operate the Holiday Express train to keep people as safe as possible. As a consolation, the Commission decided to have City Parks’ staff flip the lights on a little early so people could enjoy the holiday ambiance a little longer.”

Director Reinert added that City Park’s staff will take other necessary precautions to reduce person-to-person contact for visitors to the park. “We will be installing one-way directional signage for people who choose to visit the park on foot. We ask that people please stay 6-feet apart, wear their masks at all times, and when possible carry hand sanitizer.”

The light celebration and program draw thousands to Creekmore Park each year. City Administrator Carl Geffken applauded the staff for moving so quickly to install the lights and welcome the holiday a little earlier. “We are excited to continue the lighting tradition this year despite the pandemic. While we won’t be running the train, or encouraging people to come out as they have in years before, we believe our citizens and visitors can still enjoy the Creekmore lights and holiday ambiance from a safe distance – especially from inside their cars. We want everyone to comply with the CDC’s guidelines to protect their health and the health of their friends and loved ones during the holidays. We encourage everyone to enjoy the lights responsibly and take this opportunity to possibly create new holiday traditions like exploring other parts of downtown Fort Smith, like the shops along Garrison Avenue, or a walk along Riverfront Pavilion, Pendergraft Park, and Cisterna Park in the Downtown.”

The City began the Creekmore Park lighting display with just a few lights on display in 1993. Some of the lighting displays have been handmade by Park staff over the years. This year, the City did not operate the Creekmore Park Train as normal (March-August, 2020) because of the pandemic. The City will not re-open the train until the pandemic subsides.