Jolly holiday news

Prairie Lights holiday drive-thru unwraps reduced prices and new COVID-19 measures

Prairie Lights drive-thru holiday lights

Don't worry — the grand finale tunnel will be back.

Photo courtesy of Prairie Lights

A Dallas-Fort Worth tradition 15 years strong, Prairie Lights holiday light park is returning for 2020 — with some modern updates for the COVID-Christmas season, and one special gift for guests.

The popular drive-thru lights experience will kick off Thanksgiving night and run through December 31, according to a release.

Per usual, the dazzling display of over 5 million lights, all arranged in festive holiday scenes, will wind for two miles along the shores of Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie. Given that most of Prairie Lights is enjoyed by car, visitors will need to make few adjustments for social distancing, organizers say.

But the park’s out-of-car experience, the Holiday Village — the traditional stop midway through with hot chocolate, cookies, and other goodies for sale — will not open this year due to pandemic. It will be replaced by a new drive-thru concession option, they say.

Santa also has different plans.

"Since Santa is practicing social distancing, he won’t be able to make his annual visit to the Prairie Lights Holiday Village," the release says. "However, he will be offering virtual greetings via personalized video messages sponsored by the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce and available after November 1 via the Prairie Lights website."

One positive change this year is the price. Admission has been reduced to $30 per car (up to eight people) — down from last year's $45. A Fast Pass (line jump pass) is available for $99.

A shuttle or van holding up to 30 people is just $60, down from last year's $100. There are additional fees for limos and commercial vehicles.

Prairie Lights welcomed more than 29,000 vehicles and 165,000 guests last year alone, says Duane Strawn, executive director for the city’s Parks, Arts, and Recreation Department, and they are expecting an even larger turnout in 2020.

“Given the challenges of this year, people need something fun, exciting, and comfortingly familiar to look forward to this holiday season — and for thousands of North Texans, that’s Prairie Lights,” he says in the release. “People also need to know that they’re going to enjoy a safe experience, and given the fact that we already have 14 years of practice under our belt when it comes to offering a large-scale, drive-through only experience — plus the minor safety adjustments we’ve made to this year’s event — we’re quite confident that we’ll be able to meet our guests’ expectations.”

They offer the following tips for visitors this year:

Pre-purchase of online tickets is highly recommended, both in consideration of minimizing “touch” and in keeping park admission lines moving as quickly as possible.
Allow plenty of time to fully enjoy the park — at least 45 minutes on slower nights, and up to three hours on holidays and weekends. Longer wait times are also anticipated once schools dismiss for winter break.
Guests are encouraged to have masks on hand for possible interactions with park staff at the entrance gate or at the park’s public restroom area.
Drive-thru concessions will be available via card purchase only (no cash).
Follow Prairie Lights on social media for special offers (such as the annual Prairie Lights “Cyber Monday” ticket sale the Monday after Thanksgiving) and for inclement weather announcements.

Prairie Lights is the third big DFW holiday lights event to announce its arrival. A new "holiday light spectacular" called Radiance will debut in Frisco, Weatherford, and Decatur. An immersive experience called Luminova Holidays promises millions of twinkling lights, an outdoor ice rink, and larger-than-life displays in and around Arlington's Globe Life Field.

Other popular yuletide events, including Fort Worth's Parade of Lights and Arlington's Texas Christkindl Market, are going virtual this year.

Prairie Lights will be open nightly, 6-10 pm, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve. The entrance is at Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake, 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy., Grand Prairie. For more information, visit the website.

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Movie Review

Jesse Eisenberg delves into personal family ties in A Real Pain

Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain.

Comedy film duos have a long history, from Laurel and Hardy in the 1920s and ‘30s to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in movies like Baby Mama. But the majority of duos have either been friends or work partners, relationships that can be close, but not as close as family. The new film A Real Pain aims for the comedy that a great duo can bring, but hits deeper because the two lead characters are related to each other.

Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg) are first cousins who decide to take a trip to Poland to visit the childhood home of their grandmother, who has recently passed. Their personalities could not be more different, with David buttoned-down and reserved and Benji extremely social, if a little wild. This contrast is on display from the moment they leave on their trip, affecting almost every aspect of their journey.

The two meet up with a diverse tour group in Poland, including guide James (Will Sharpe), recently divorced Marcia (Jennifer Grey), married couple Mark (Daniel Oreskes) and Diane (Liza Sadovy), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), an African man who has converted to Judaism. As the group visits various historical sites, David confronts contrasting feelings about Benji, who goes from charming to abrasive seemingly at the drop of a hat.

Written and directed by Eisenberg, the film is about both the family we have and the history of those who came before us. With Benji and David being Jewish and their grandmother having escaped from the Nazis in World War II, the themes hit harder than they might in other situations. Eisenberg takes care to honor his Jewish ancestors both in the way he has Benji and David talk about their grandmother and the places they visit.

But even though emotions are heightened due to the significance of the trip, the film is far from a dour affair. Benji keeps things interesting at almost all times with a series of impulsive decisions, many that are entertaining for both the tour group and the audience watching the film. He is one of those film characters that is great to watch on screen, but would likely be too much to handle if you were confronted with him in real life.

The relationship between Benji and David is a complicated one; the two obviously have love for each other, but they rarely see eye-to-eye on the best way to approach certain situations. This tension keeps the film grounded, and Eisenberg does a great job at showing the push-and-pull the two cousins have with each other. The little moments, especially when Benji and David go their separate ways, say a lot as the characters try to reconcile where each is at in their respective lives.

Eisenberg has always been an understated performer, so this role is almost perfect for him. Culkin, fresh off his Emmy-winning role in HBO’s Succession, is an ideal foil for Eisenberg, as he has a manic energy that he can control or not control at will. It’s also nice to see Grey in action again, as she brings just the right touch to her supporting role.

The drama in A Real Pain comes from the life experiences of its two main characters, which are on full display despite the story only doling out details in small doses. The film is subtle yet powerful, a testament to Eisenberg’s filmmaking ability and the actors never trying to make too much of their scenes.

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A Real Pain opens in theaters on November 15.

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