Lights of the South has settled its roots in the CSRA as a Christmas tradition, having helped families usher in the holiday season since 2005.
“It is so important to us to keep building off of what we have in our community with Lights of the South and our patrons,” said General Manager Mark Jackson. “Hoping to make it better and better each year with more for our customers to look forward to each year.”
Jackson got involved with Lights of the South in 2016 to help manage it during the scheduled season. Since then, the yearly yuletide crowd-pleaser has expanded and adapted. There are more attractions, such as the Candyland play area; a maze added in 2020, new LED lights, local boutique-style vendors and Christmas movies playing each night in the general admission area while guests wait to ride through to see the lights.
“It takes a team,” said Jackson. “We have a great team that has worked to rebuild and revamp, adding new lights and fixtures to the attraction year after year.”
Its restaurant, Mrs. Claus Kitchen, serves food nightly, and Jackson notes that the staff is trained to be courteous in a way to give patrons what he calls a “Chick-Fil-A experience.”
Trailers and benches have replaced bales of hay for comfort and safety, and new firepits to roast marshmallows. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson says, Lights of the South has taken extra care to ensure the welfare of patrons, such has adding hand sanitizer stations and having a cleaning crew regularly tend to all the site’s areas.
Per its position as a community staple, it is supported by a wide host of local sponsors, such as Chancey’s Towing, Windsor Jewelers and John Deere. Jackson singles out Queensboro Bank as Lights of the South’s “headline sponsor.”
[adrotate banner=”20″]
While Lights of the South is closed on Christmas Day—following the end of one its other notable attractions, the appearance of Kris Kringle himself—it will stay open until Dec. 30, making it notable activity to ride out the rest of the year and the holiday season.
“Lights of the South is a place for family and friends to gather and enjoy special time together,” said Jackson. “We will continue to build and we will be better for the families that visit with us. We strive to be better for customer experience and for our great sponsors who are involved.”
Lights of the South is located at 633 Louisville Rd. in Grovetown. For more information visit its website at https://lightsofthesouth.com/.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
