SURPRISE, AZ — Surprise Community Park is shining a little extra this month in the northwest Valley! Here’s what you need to know about the magic of ‘Sparkling Surprise.’
“So, the whole area is about 25 acres, we have over 200,000 lights, we have a brand new dancing RGB tree with 18,000 lights! We have over at our aquatic center -[which was] made by our Surprise Police Department- [is] an animated display [that’s] set to music,” said Holly Osborn, Parks & Recreation Director for the city of Surprise, in an interview with ABC15. “We haven't even counted all the lights…but we live on the philosophy as more as more and the more the brighter and the better.”
With thousands of lights and trees decorated from top to bottom in different colors, families across the Valley come to the city of Surprise to create memories with their loved ones. But it’s the community in this area that makes this magic a reality.
“It is not just Parks and Rec, [it’s the] entire community that everybody in the city helps or sponsors. We have security to make sure everybody's safe. Gosh, transportation, makes sure the roads are good. Everybody pitches in and make sure that this is magical for everybody,” said Osborn.
The Parks & Recreation Director for the city of Surprise also shared that the thematic lights at the Aquatic Center were decorated/designed by a local police officer and some of the metal statues were built by members of the Surprise Fire Department.
“We're a hidden treasure, you know, we were not one of the main displays that that you hear a lot about. So, we're an up-and-coming city, we're the one of the fastest growing cities. And I think you can see how much we enjoy our community. We're a big growing city, but with a small town feel so that I think that's what makes us so special is just the warmth and the happiness of all the residents,” said Osborn.
IF YOU GO
- The lights will be lit up until January 2, 2024; you can view them nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Where are the lights: The light display spans from the Surprise Recreation Campus to the Surprise Community Park and outside Surprise Stadium.
- Address: Surprise Recreation Campus [15960 N. Bullard Ave.]
- Keep this in mind: Bullard Avenue will be closed between Paradise and Tierra Buena lanes until January 3, 2024.
- Cost: Free.
SPARKLE THE SURPRISE DOG
The team that built the light display also created an interactive element to it.
“This this year, we wrote a children's book called ‘Sparkle The Surprise Dog’ and it's about a dog that gets lost in the park and sees this box and it wants to find a box. So, we have a book that you could go online, you could go to the QR codes- or we do have them in our office too- and you can follow sparkle on her journey to find her way to this bright present,” said Osborn.
Essentially, Sparkle will take you through so lands of the Sparkling Surprise. “We have little footprints that you can follow the whole story. So, we try to make it as interactive for the kids as possible,” said Osborn.
