Amarillo Lights at Maxwell’s will open its sixth Christmas season on Nov. 28, with new displays, expanded photo spots and one feature owner Larry Borger says remains at the heart of the event — a free photo opportunity with Santa every night, included with admission.
Santa arrives each evening at 6 p.m. on a sleigh mounted to the front of a tractor. Borger said offering photos at no extra cost was a decision made early on.
“Everywhere you go, they charge quite a bit just for a picture with Santa,” he said. “Here it comes with admission. That matters to families.”
Borger said he started Amarillo Lights after seeing a gap in local holiday entertainment options.
“We didn’t really have anything like this in the Panhandle,” he said. “We saw the need — a place people could count on every year. Families want traditions, and that’s what we’ve tried to build here.”
He said keeping it affordable is a priority, especially as costs rise.
“We want families to be able to come back year after year,” Borger said. “If people can’t afford it, they can’t make memories — and that’s really what this is about.”
From Fall Festival to Christmas lights
The grounds transition quickly each year from Maxwell’s Fall Festival to the Christmas attraction — a process that has become more complex as the display has grown.
“Christmas starts early for us,” Borger said. “We’re working from daylight to way past dark once the fall festival ends. If we didn’t start early, we’d never make it.”
As the attraction has expanded, staffing has followed.
“It takes a lot of hands to pull this off,” he said. “People don’t always see the work behind the lights, but we’ve got folks out here climbing, wiring, welding, hauling — it’s a big teamwork effort.”
Amarillo Lights will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. through Dec. 19, then nightly from Dec. 19 to Dec. 23.
Amarillo Lights at Maxwell’s is located at 12908 S. Bell St., just off Interstate 27 in south Amarillo.
What’s new in 2025
New displays for this season include:
“They completely reprogrammed that pixel tree and brought it to life,” Borger said. “They’re good people, and we’d like to do more with them in the future.”
The walking trail now offers a variety of photo spots, including the metal trees, oversized ornaments, themed displays and open views of the hayride path.
“There are photo ops all over the farm,” Borger said. “People stop everywhere to get pictures — that’s part of the fun.”
22+ attractions across the farm
Visitors can expect more than 20 attractions, including:
Food and drinks will be available at Maxwell’s Munchies, and Maxwell’s Mercantile will feature holiday gifts and decorations.
Tradition taking root
Last Christmas brought more than 27,000 visitors. Borger said many families now return year after year.
“There are people I only see once a year — at Christmas — when they come through,” he said. “They’ll tell me, ‘We’ll see you next year.’ And they do. That’s why we keep going.”
Several school choirs and youth groups from across the area are scheduled to perform on select nights during the season.
“That’s one of the best parts,” Borger said. “It turns into a gathering place — and kids get to see their classmates singing under the lights. It’s fun to watch.”
Borger also expects at least one engagement to take place this season.
“We can’t control the weather, but we can create a place full of light where people can enjoy each other,” he said. “If folks walk out of here smiling, then we did our job.”
Admission
If you go
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Lights at Maxwell’s opens sixth season with more than 1M lights
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
