The Light Park

What The Light Park does

The Light Park is a privately held, Texas-based operator of large-scale drive-thru holiday light attractions, currently running nine parks across the four major Texas metros of Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. The core product is a roughly mile-long drive-thru route featuring millions of individually programmed LED lights choreographed to a holiday music soundtrack broadcast via a dedicated FM radio station, branded as the DJ Polar Ice Music Experience, and experienced by visitors from inside their own vehicles at approximately 3 MPH. Tickets are sold per-vehicle (online at $49.99 or $60 at the gate, with one ticket covering the entire car) through an owned e-commerce platform on thelightpark.com, powered by TicketSpice. The company is headquartered in College Station, TX, operates with a 1-10 employee footprint, and is backed by Guideboat Capital.

The business model is multi-stream and seasonally concentrated in the November-December holiday window. Primary revenue comes from per-vehicle admission tickets, supplemented by higher-margin on-site concessions and merchandise sold at entry tents (Blitzen Bundle at $29.99, Magic Glasses, Light Wands, Electric Lemonade, popcorn, DJ Polar Ice plushies, light-up sunglasses, and hot cocoa). The company has also built a B2B venue hosting program ('Host a Light Park') offering two commercial models — Full Production, in which The Light Park leases and operates the venue, and Hybrid Production, in which the venue operates the event under a fixed-fee arrangement — targeting municipalities, stadiums, water parks, zoos, and parks and recreation departments. Corporate sponsorships form a third revenue stream, offering category exclusivity, naming rights, branded installations, audio integration, and on-site activations across multiple markets.

The company is in an active growth phase. The most significant recent move is the February 2026 acquisition of Holiday Supply Shop, a walk-thru holiday light park operator founded by stadium and large-venue event veteran Matt Thompson. This acquisition extends the platform beyond drive-thru attractions into pedestrian-format holiday experiences at stadiums and large outdoor venues, diversifies the seasonal product surface, and adds 20+ years of specialized production talent. The Light Park's stated market position is 'Texas's #1 Drive-Thru Christmas Light Show,' corroborated by regional press coverage from KERA News, Mommy Poppins, CultureMap Austin, and others, and the company reports 'hundreds of thousands of visitors each season' across its nine Texas locations.

Name

The Light Park

Legal name

The Light Park

Website

https://thelightpark.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Light Park operates nine drive-thru holiday light attractions across four major Texas metros, selling per-vehicle admission tickets to families and groups seeking an immersive LED-and-music experience, and offers a B2B venue hosting and corporate sponsorship platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seasonal Holiday Entertainment

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Theme Parks (Large-Scale, Multi-Attraction Parks) (THAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Lighting Decor (Uplighting, String Lights, Effects) (HSACAOAE)

Keywords

• Drive-thru light displays
• Holiday entertainment venues
• Seasonal light shows
• LED light installations
• Venue hosting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Drive-Thru Admission Tickets: Primary revenue stream from per-vehicle admission tickets sold online at a discount ($49.99-$60 per car depending on day and purchase channel) or at the gate. Tickets cover the entire vehicle regardless of passenger count. Group rates available for parties over 25 vehicles.
2. On-Site Concessions and Merchandise: Snacks, drinks, light wands, magic glasses, popcorn, electric lemonade, cotton candy, light-up sunglasses, DJ Polar Ice plushies, and Blitzen Bundle upsells sold at on-site tents before entering the drive-thru. Ancillary revenue per visit.
3. Venue Hosting and Production Partnerships: Revenue from hosting The Light Park experience at third-party venues. Two models: Full Production (venue leases space, The Light Park operates and collects ticket revenue) and Hybrid Production (venue operates under a fixed fee or tailored commercial structure).
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Brand partnerships offering category exclusivity, naming rights to signature features and zones, custom branded light installations, integrated audio messaging, on-site activation, organic social amplification, and scalable multi-market exposure. Tiers include Presenting Partner, Signature Installations, Experiential Activations, Audio Integration, Digital Amplification, and VIP & Hospitality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Light Park operates large-scale drive-thru holiday light attractions at nine Texas venues across four metros, where visitors experience millions of LED lights choreographed to holiday music broadcast via FM radio (DJ Polar Ice) from inside their vehicles along a mile-long route. The company sells per-vehicle admission tickets online and at the gate, on-site merchandise and concessions, and offers a B2B venue-hosting program (Full Production and Hybrid Production models) along with multi-tier corporate sponsorship packages.

Product overview

The Light Park is a holiday entertainment company operating large-scale drive-thru holiday light attractions. The core product is the Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show, a mile-long immersive experience featuring millions of LED lights synchronized to holiday music. The company operates nine Texas locations across four metropolitan areas (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin) at partner venues. The product portfolio includes the core drive-thru experience as well as add-on merchandise items (Blitzen Bundle, Magic Glasses, Light Wands, Electric Lemonade, Popcorn, DJ Polar Ice Plushie, Light Up Sunglasses, Hot Cocoa) available for purchase at on-site tents. The company also offers two venue hosting models—Full Production and Hybrid Production—for venues seeking to host their own holiday light events, and provides sponsorship opportunities for brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show A mile-long immersive drive-thru holiday light experience featuring millions of LED lights synchronized to holiday music broadcast on a designated FM radio station (DJ Polar Ice), experienced from inside the visitor's vehicle. Operated at nine Texas locations across Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin metros for families and groups seeking seasonal entertainment.
• Blitzen Bundle A premium upgrade package sold at on-site tents that bundles 2 Magic Glasses, 2 Light Wands, 2 Electric Lemonades, and 1 Bucket of Popcorn for $29.99 to enhance the drive-thru visit for families.
• Magic Glasses Specialty glasses that alter the visual perception of the LED light displays to reveal a different visual experience, sold as a 2-pack at on-site tents.
• Light Wands Light-up wands sold at on-site tents that allow visitors to actively participate in the light show by waving them from their vehicles.
• Electric Lemonade Lemonade beverage served in a souvenir cup, sold at on-site concession tents.
• Movie Theater Popcorn Hot popcorn sold by the bucket at on-site concession tents.
• DJ Polar Ice Plushie Collectible plush toy featuring DJ Polar Ice, The Light Park's official DJ mascot, sold at on-site merchandise tents.
• Light-Up Sunglasses Illuminated sunglasses sold at on-site merchandise tents as a light-show accessory.
• Hot Cocoa 12oz hot cocoa beverage sold at on-site concession tents.
• Full Production Venue Hosting B2B venue hosting model in which The Light Park leases venue space from the partner and assumes end-to-end responsibility for designing, installing, staffing, ticketing, operating, and tearing down a drive-thru holiday light event. Targeted at cities, stadiums, water parks, zoos, campgrounds, and parks & recreation departments seeking turnkey holiday programming.
• Hybrid Production Venue Hosting B2B venue hosting model in which The Light Park delivers custom design, installation, teardown, and technical/logistical support, while the venue retains ticketing and day-to-day operations under a fixed-fee or tailored commercial structure. Targeted at large venue operators with internal operations capacity that prefer an asset-light hosting arrangement.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages Multi-tier corporate sponsorship offering Presenting Partner, Signature Installations, Experiential Activations, Audio Integration, Digital Amplification, and VIP & Hospitality tiers to consumer brands and marketers, providing category exclusivity, naming rights, branded light installations, integrated audio messaging, on-site activation, organic social amplification, and multi-market Texas exposure across all nine locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nine drive-thru parks across Texas generating hundreds of thousands of seasonal visitors

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Matt Thompson (Founder, Holiday Supply Shop)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Founder of acquired Holiday Supply Shop with 20+ years of stadium and large-venue event production experience. Following the acquisition, Thompson continues to lead walk-thru operations and plays a central role in developing The Light Park's stadium and venue-based offerings. His expertise in pedestrian-focused operations and turnkey walk-thru production models directly enables The Light Park's expansion beyond drive-thru attractions.
• Holiday Supply ShopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Acquired walk-thru holiday light park operator bringing a turnkey operating model for pedestrian-focused walk-thru holiday light experiences at stadiums and large outdoor venues. The acquisition adds pedestrian-focused operational capabilities and large-scale event production expertise, supporting The Light Park's growth into stadium and large-venue environments beyond its existing nine Texas drive-thru parks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Magic of Lights: Multi-city drive-thru holiday lights experience hosted at stadiums and large outdoor venues across the U.S. Closely comparable to The Light Park in product format (drive-thru lights) and venue-hosting model (operated at partner stadiums/large sites), making it a direct format and GTM peer.
• Austin Trail of Lights: Iconic Austin holiday lights walk-thru event operated in Zilker Park. Comparable to The Light Park as a Texas-based holiday lights attraction competing in the same Austin metro market for family seasonal visitors, but in a walk-thru pedestrian format versus The Light Park's drive-thru model.
• Santa's Wonderland: Texas-based drive-thru Christmas light park operating a multi-mile immersive holiday light experience in College Station. Direct competitor to The Light Park with an overlapping Texas-only geographic footprint and a comparable per-vehicle ticketing model targeting family holiday outings.
• Prairie Lights: Grand Prairie, Texas drive-thru holiday light show operating along Lynn Creek Park. Closely comparable to The Light Park in both format (drive-thru) and Dallas-Fort Worth market overlap, competing directly for the same regional family holiday spend.
• Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston: Houston-area indoor/outdoor holiday lights experience operated at Space Center Houston. Comparable to The Light Park as a Texas-based holiday light attraction competing in the same Houston metro market for family seasonal visitors, although the Galaxy Lights format is a walk-thru experience rather than drive-thru.
• Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Drive-thru Christmas light show hosted at a major motorsports venue in North Carolina. Comparable to The Light Park because it operates at a partner venue (analogous to Sam Houston Race Park or Dell Diamond), uses a similar drive-thru format, and targets the same family holiday audience with a multi-mile light route.

Broad incumbents

• Six Flags Holiday in the Park: Holiday lights overlay event run by Six Flags across multiple U.S. theme park properties. Comparable to The Light Park as a major theme park operator offering a seasonal holiday lights experience targeting families, though Six Flags is a much larger incumbent with year-round operations and a wider portfolio of attractions.
• Hersheypark Christmas Candylane: Long-running holiday event at Hersheypark featuring millions of lights, themed rides, and Santa experiences. Comparable to The Light Park as a destination holiday lights attraction for families, but Hersheypark is a year-round theme park incumbent with significantly broader operations and a national visitor base.
• Dollywood Smoky Mountain Christmas: Award-winning holiday event at Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, featuring millions of lights and holiday programming. Comparable to The Light Park as a destination family holiday lights experience with strong regional brand equity, though Dollywood is a year-round theme park incumbent with a much larger operational scope.
• SeaWorld Christmas Celebration / Busch Gardens Christmas Town: Seasonal holiday events operated by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens across multiple U.S. theme parks. Comparable to The Light Park as a family-oriented seasonal holiday lights and entertainment experience, though these are year-round theme park incumbents with much larger operational footprints and broader entertainment offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thelightpark
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheLightPark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-light-park

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Light Park