The annual Gulf Harbor Lights Festival at Jones Park in Gulfport is a great place to go after Thanksgiving through December 31 each year. The Gulf Harbor Lights Festival is unique. The entire park located in the port of Gulfport is decorated with not only static lights but with a unique light show.
With all of the bad news out there, it’s time to enjoy family and friends. After a great Thanksgiving feast, time to get some exercise and visit this great Christmas light show with your loved ones. Take lots of photos and send them to your family members who were unable to attend.
These Christmas lights on the coast are for having fun. My wife and I went this year (and last year) and it was well worth our time and the small donation. Families were all about taking in the beautiful figures covered with lights. The theme was nautical. Makes sense since it was held at the port.
General Admission
You can buy tickets at the ticket booth or order them online. The fee for 2023 is $15 per adult, $5 for children ages 5-12, and children under 5 are free. Carnival ride tickets are available separately for between $3 and $6.
A beautiful fall night
People think the Mississippi Gulf Coast is humid and hot all of the time. Wrong. Our fall weather is very nice. It was a warm day in the low 70s and a nice evening at about 68. Several people were wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Because it can be breezy at the port, I donned pants and a light jacket. It was tough not wearing my shorts.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the park was laughter. As hard as I tried, I could not hear any discussions of politics or any of the other stuff I just mentioned. People were just having fun looking at the Christmas lights on the coast, and families having fun. It was nothing like watching the news. Wow, there is a real world out there.
Back to the attractions. Well not so fast. As soon as we passed the food area we were instantly hungry. Fairs can do that to you. We looked at a few displays and then to line to wait for food. It seemed that everyone wanted the same thing we wanted, curly fries with chili and cheese and a sausage sandwich.
Those curly fries were great
A young man about 10 behind me told his mom he wanted an order of chili cheese curly fries and a hamburger. I looked at him and he was skinny (no this is not body shaming). When I was his age I could put away that and then some. The bulge under my shirt prevented me from ordering the hamburger.
The most interesting display was the semi-circle of Christmas tree frames full of lights. The programmer was able to create actual images of the trees and have them jump from tree to tree. This was accompanied by music. The effect was spellbinding.
The above is one of the shows that are presented in the area with the large Christmas trees. I have added another show below.
As we walked around and looked at the very attractive displays, we were thinking it was good to be outside with other people in a healthy environment. I do not mean social distancing, I mean an environment that was stress-free (except for the parents trying to keep their kids away from the lights). The imagination that went into the show was impressive. These were not just lights but ingenuity.
I was trying to understand the creative work it took to program this show with the lights changing to dancing characters and the music in perfect timing with the visual effects. You can sit on benches to watch the show or just walk around it.
The Crabs
The crabs below were grouped together. They are all playing musical instruments. There are many more like those around the park. Many of the lights reflect the nautical nature of the area. Ships, boats and more.
There are some rides including a Ferris wheel and more. The kids were enjoying themselves. There were lots of strollers around, parents giving their youngest a taste of this great event.
Santa Claus
Of course, Santa Claus was there for children. One of the pavilions was converted to a Santa’s village where you can take your children to visit. There are areas with fire pits (gas) where you can warm yourself if the weather turns colder. Keep in mind if you are not from here that cold weather is anything below 68. If you are a snowbird you will probably not be interested in the fire pits.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Events
This event at Jones Park is just one of numerous events that occur every year along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Perhaps other areas of the country have family-oriented events like this one and the others that I mentioned. These types of events are what seem to be why we get out of bed every day. We have something to look forward to.
Our next events will be the boat parades at various areas along the Gulf Coast. These Christmas boat parades include boats decked out with lights similar to the ones at Jones Park. I go to many of these events, it’s a nice way to end the day when they are in the evening.
Please visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I have featured several articles about this area because we relocated here. Perhaps you should visit and see for yourself. Please leave comments.
Need accommodations in Gulfport or nearby, check out Christies Gulf Beach Rentals for a vacation rental property that will accommodate your entire family.
