insider
SPOTLIGHT
Holiday Happiness VETERANS UNITED OFFERS DE-LIGHT-FULL DRIVE-THRU.
T
BY PEG GILL
A MISSION TO PREVENT OMISSION
FAM JAM
The Columbia Police Department will
Fill up a thermos with hot cocoa, grab some
be assisting with traffic flow each night
cups, pile your pajama-ed fam (or SO or
one of them. Along with other local
and visitors will not be permitted to
pals) into a cozy car and tune into 98.3 The
businesses, Veterans United Home Loans
stop or exit their cars during the tour.
Dove (a Zimmer Radio Group-operated
offered a drive-thru light show to bring
Enter the display from the easternmost
station that’s rockin’ round the clock
holiday cheer and brighten the mood of
Southampton Drive campus entrance
Christmas songs)! Then prepare to pilot
countless Columbians.
and continue through the display until
your sled — uh, merry mobile, reindeer
you exit through the westernmost
ride or Santa SUV — through this fantastic,
inviting mid-Missouri residents to enjoy
Southampton Drive exit. During
free, fun event.
a drive-thru holiday light spectacular
event hours, the only way to access
on its main Columbia campus on South
Southampton Drive will be from State
Providence Road. You can experience the
Farm Parkway. Turning east from
magic from Dec. 7-19, between 7 p.m.
Providence Road onto Southampton
and 10:30 p.m. each night.
Drive will be restricted.
DISPLAY DEETS
GET ENLIGHTENED
here were a few bright spots during 2020’s COVID pandemic, and this event was
This year, for the second time, VU is
“Bright Lights/Holiday Nights'' will offer
The driving route around the Veterans
a drive-thru delight each night with a
United main campus and the traffic
1-mile loop of lights, holiday displays and
flow accommodates an average of
music. No reservations are required. But
1,000 cars per night. The display
VU’s Manager of Community Relations
consists of LED lights and will feature
Chad Moller says the home loan giant
a variety of 2-D and 3-D displays that
suggests attending on the latter end
are equivalent to over one million
of each night’s visiting window, as
bulb lights! Community members are
last year’s inaugural event had quite a
encouraged to stay up to date on the
busy, bustling beginning each evening,
display by visiting Facebook.com/
resulting in significant wait times.
VULights.
122 INSIDE COLUMBIA DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022
Details WHAT
“Bright Lights/Holiday Nights”
WHERE
Veterans United Main Campus, 4700 S. Providence Road, Columbia
WHEN
Dec. 7-19, between 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. each night
