By: Leo Jurcak
During the upcoming winter months, the temperature begins to drop but your ideas for dates during this time doesn’t need to. If you’re looking for some festive holiday fun, Christmas Lane is a must see! Christmas Lane is a family owned venue where guests can expect the full Christmas Holiday experience. Located on 2508 West Oak Ave, Plant City, FL, guests can experience an extensive array of over 1.5 million vibrant lights, decorations, over 100 Christmas trees, holiday scenes and even a visit from Santa himself! Also available are vendors selling the essential holiday snacks including delicious hot chocolate, funnel cakes, popcorn, pretzels, cookies and much more. There is even a live nativity scene with actors and farm animals for guests to enjoy.
The experience is set up on about 1.5 acres which allows guests to walk around and enjoy their own personal North Pole experience. The whole idea was started when Lane Wetherington decided to take his love for Christmas and create his own winter wonderland in 1986. Over the years word spread about Lane’s Christmas extravaganza, and as the number of guests in attendance increased year by year, he decided to move his family into a new home by the famous Strawberry Festival grounds in Plant City so that he could expand his idea to even more Christmas enthusiasts.
But setting up this breathtaking scene is no simple task! Each year volunteers help set up this non-profit experience, and it takes over 2,000 hours’ worth of work to bring Christmas Lane to life. The entire set up uses a total of 168,000 watts of power to keep his dream alive and running smoothly for everyone to enjoy. The larger than life displays and the trees that range from four to 40 feet allow for amazing photo opportunities with you and your date! The venue also has a full December calendar where guests can see when singers and different chorus groups will be performing which allows guests to pick and choose what type of entertainment they can expect during their night out.
Admission is only $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 4-12 and children under three have free admission. So if you can brave the chilly weather Christmas Lane is a must for a date night. Nothing says romantic like a late night stroll among the lights and decorations while sipping on hot chocolate and being hand in hand with your significant other.
