Small Town Bright Lights

By Angie Johnson-Schmit

The winter holidays aren't complete in Prescott Valley, Arizona without a visit to Valley of Lights.

Instantly recognizable by the animated toy soldiers pointing the way from Highway 69, the drive-through holiday light display is a favorite tradition among area residents. Ask any local and they are sure to have a story about their favorite experience at Valley of Lights.

It all began when then Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Lew Rees saw a lighting display at Branson, Missouri. The proverbial light bulb went off in his head, and he thought it would be a great idea to create a similar display in Prescott Valley. The Chamber agreed and some local businesses and organizations quickly got on board to sponsor the actual light displays. There was no charge for admission, but donations to help with event costs and display maintenance were accepted.

Flash forward to 2021, and Valley of Lights is still using the same basic model. The Chamber of Commerce continues to host and run the event, while local businesses and organizations are sponsors. The original displays have been updated and are still in use, but the event has now grown to 62 displays and thousands of residents and visitors are expected to attend.

Located at 2200 N 5th Street in Fain Park, Prescott Valley, the event runs from Thanksgiving night through December 30. Valley of Lights is open from 6 pm until 9 pm Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 pm until 10 pm on Friday, Saturday, and holidays. The event is still donation based, with a suggested donation of just five dollars per vehicle.

Part of the magic of Valley of Lights is the event’s uniquely small-town feel. The layout of the lights varies from year to year, older displays are constantly upgraded, and new displays are frequently added. Visitors can expect displays with a wide range of spiritual, religious, patriotic, and fantasy themes.

Everyone has their favorite display, whether it’s the Noah’s Ark display, the manger scene, the penguins and igloo, or on of the tunnels of lit arches. “All of those arches have been redone,” said Marnie Uhl, current Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO. “Our most recent display was a cartoon kind of fire-breathing dragon,” she said. “There’s something there for everyone, and that’s what I love about it.” A new addition for this year’s event is a low-power radio station featuring Christmas music. Visitors can tune their car radios to 100.3 FM and enjoy music during their drive through the Valley of Lights. “How are we doing that? By investing in the technology, investing in the repeater, and everything we might need for that experience,” said Uhl. The Chamber is always on the lookout for ways to improve the Valley of Lights experience for guests. One question Uhl got a lot of phone calls and emails about was if visitors could stop their cars and take pictures. It’s not safe to allow cars to stop, especially considering that a busy night might see over a thousand vehicles coming through the display, so the answer is no. Still, the Chamber listened and tried to come up with a solution. After doing some research, they decided to close Valley of Lights to cars for one night of the season, the Tuesday night after Thanksgiving. For the first year’s Stroll through the Valley of Lights, they expected 500 people and instead had 2,500 show up. “It was amazing,” said Uhl. “I knew people would come, but not that many.”

That notion of community-giving lies at the heart of Valley of Lights. From the business owners and organizations that sponsor the displays to the volunteers that staff the event. Everyone seems to genuinely enjoy creating an extra bit of happiness for visitors.

The following year the Chamber added dedicated parking crew, port-a-potties, a hot chocolate vendor, and traffic control. Valley of Lights is only open for three hours during the Stroll, but attendance has remained high with about 2,900 people walking through on that one night. The smiles on their faces make it worth it to Uhl. “Lights are all around you and people are happy and it’s really fun,” she said.

Valley of Lights is staffed by a range of volunteers. Uhl has a group of friends that she takes shifts with, and the Chamber of Commerce board members also volunteer. “You don’t know the business we’re doing until you go out there and experience it,” said Uhl. “You’re standing out there for three hours, meeting people from all over the state.”

Most of the volunteers are members of local organizations, service clubs, and churches. In addition, several families have made volunteering at Valley of Lights a holiday tradition. “We have a regular family that works Christmas Eve every year because they’re Jewish,” said Uhl. The family understands it can be difficult finding people to volunteer that night and do it as a gift to the community. Another family has made volunteering on Christmas Day part of their holiday tradition.

That notion of community-giving lies at the heart of Valley of Lights. From the business owners and organizations that sponsor the displays to the volunteers that staff the event, everyone seems to genuinely enjoy creating an extra bit of happiness for visitors.

Uhl noted that she tries to make sure everyone is represented. “That’s always been very important to me…no matter who you are, something is going to touch you and you’re going to say my culture, my heritage, my religion is represented here in the park.”

Every year, that spirit of giving and inclusion grows right along with the event itself. It may be a lot of work to put the event on, but the simple pleasure of giving back reflects the very best of small-town Arizona. Love of community, a desire to share, and a continuing tradition of heartfelt neighborliness are alive and well at Valley of Lights.