Meadow Lights to return this holiday season By MIKE BOLLINGER
BENSON — A Johnston County Christmas tradition will return for 2021. After being closed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Meadow Lights opened for this year’s Christmas season Nov. 19. The light display will be open until Dec. 31. “We missed it,” said Meadow Lights owner and founder Roy Johnson Sr. “We’ve been doing lights over 40 years.” Johnson’s daughter, Ronina Tart, is business manager for the attraction. “We’ve had a ton of calls from people asking if we would be open this year. There were a lot of upset people last year when we didn’t open,” Tart said. “It’s a part of our family. We wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves if we had been closed again,” said Nicole Barefoot, Tart’s daughter and assistant manager. Barefoot said she hopes reopening this year will help take people’s minds off the
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pandemic. “People need to get out of the house and do something that will put a smile on their faces,” she said. “Many people say it’s part of their Christmas tradition. We have one family that comes every Thanksgiving night,” Johnson said. “We know it brings a lot of joy to people.” Barefoot said she saw a social media message from a person who plans to come to Meadow Lights twice this year to make up for not being to visit last year.
Meadow Lights has four trains that give visitors an up close look at part of the more than 30 acres of lights that make up the largest and oldest Christmas light display in eastern North Carolina.
Meadow Lights started more than 40 years ago when Johnson started decorating his yard and has grown into the largest and oldest holiday light display in eastern North Carolina. In addition to the more than 30 acres of lights, there is the Old Country Store, which specializes in all kinds of candy as well as specialty drinks; a carousel, a concession stand and Santa Claus visits every year to visit and take photos. The carousel is fully enclosed and will operate rain or shine. Concessions are available starting Thanksgiving night. “It just kept expanding. People kept coming, more and more of them. I never thought it would turn into what it is today. We started The candy store is always adding things, and it just got a popular spot bigger and bigger,” Johnson for visitors at said. “We get a lot of older Meadow Lights. people. They love it.” The main feature of Meadow
