Back in the 1950s, downtown Lubbock was the place to be for Christmas. For example, 75,000 people showed up for a 1955 parade, according to an Avalanche-Journal article.

The Louise Hopkins Underground Center for the Arts (LHUCA) wants to make downtown the place to be for Christmas again and will start small next month with a first-time event called Lights at LHUCA. The eventual goal is to recapture that past Christmas magic.

“Everybody went downtown. And when Hemphill Wells was down there, people would model Christmas dresses in the windows,” said event organizer Abie Rampy, also director of public relations for United Supermarkets.

“We just kind of want to bring that family experience back,” she said.

For nearly a month, Christmas lights will be on display at LHUCA, 511 Avenue K. On weekends there will be singing and dance performances, craft workshops, movie screenings and visits from Santa Claus.

The lights will go on December 5 at First Friday Art Trail through January 3 from 5 p.m. to midnight.

It’s all free.

Lights at LHUCA event list

Lights displayed every night from December 5 through January 3.

Friday, Dec. 5: “Lights On” during First Friday Art Trail, West Texas Children’s Choir, Ballet Lubbock, Dayton & Good Company, Santa Claus.

Saturday, Dec. 6: Letters to Santa, artful/holiday cards, school choir, cocoa by United Supermarkets.

Tuesday, Dec. 9: Carols & cocoa; Santa Claus.

Thursday, Dec. 11: Un(Wine)d with the Arts, Clay Studio ornament making.

Friday, Dec. 12: Movie screening; cocoa by United Supermarkets.

Saturday, Dec. 13: Artful ornament making, Santa Claus, school choir.

Thursday, Dec. 18: Pride of West Texas Show Choir.

Friday, Dec. 19: Movie screening; cocoa by United Supermarkets.

Saturday, Dec. 20: Hot Tub Country (it’s a band) Holiday Dance Party.

Friday, Jan. 2: First Friday Art Trail

Saturday, Jan. 3: Last night of lights.

Lights at LHUCA sponsors: Citizens State Bank, Mission Service Companies, Teinert Construction, United Supermarkets.

“Mission Services is the company that’s putting all the lights up for us, and they have donated all the labor. … So it will be an extravagant light show. LHUCA will be lit up. All the trees, over 17 trees will have beautiful lights in it. There’s a huge plaza, stage and pergola. Everything will be lit in a magical Christmas way so families can enjoy it,” Rampy said.

“We’ll even have a drive-by scene where you can stay in your car if it’s too cold and you’ll be able to tune into a radio station and the lights will match the music,” Rampy said.

“It’s just going to be just family-friendly fun, festive – a total Hallmark movie setup is what I want you to envision,” Rampy said.

Visit Santa Land, Carol of Lights, Nutcracker too

Lubbock has some Christmas traditions like Santa Land and the Carol of Lights, Rampy said, adding Nutcracker performances at Buddy Holly Hall from December 11-14.

Carol of Lights attracts 20,000 Texas Tech students and local residents, according to the Texas Tech website. This year’s ceremony will be December 7 at 6:30 p.m. The Science Quadrangle west of Memorial Circle on campus remains decorated yearly with Christmas lights through early January.

Ruth Perkins, one of organizers of Santa Land, said, “We would love to have more community members come and see this – whether they’re coming to Santa Land or whether they stop by Santa Land on their way to Carol of the Lights or to any of the other local events.”

The city anticipates about 45,000 people attend Santa Land – held yearly in Mackenzie Park, Perkins said.

“We have about 50 entertainment groups that are coming out. That information will be posted on the Internet or on our website once we have all of those confirmed,” Perkins said.

That’s in addition to 150 trees all wrapped in lights plus one big 50-foot tall tree to be lit in an opening ceremony December 8. Santa Land then runs through December 21. Santa is there each night to take pictures with families for free.

Those who want to volunteer can contact Perkins, the community engagement and development coordinator for Lubbock Parks and Recreation, by calling 806-775-2670 or emailing ruthperkins@mylubbock.us.

Rampy said, “It’d be great if you came down and did Lights at LHUCA and then you did go over to Santa Land and just had two really great experiences.”

Also, she added, consider going to downtown restaurant to make a whole night of it.

Future spreading out to downtown

Perkins said, “We do have some of these larger events throughout Lubbock that just continue to grow and grow. Maybe one day we’ll all just get together and make one giant Christmas event and everything in Lubbock will just be Christmas themed for that two-week period. I think that would be wonderful.”

Rampy said, “This is our first year. We’re going to keep it to the plaza at LHUCA.
Our hope is that each year we do this, it grows. Next year, we hope that CASP [Charles Adams Studio Project] across the street will get involved. … our hope is to grow it all the way down to the downtown park when it comes in the future.”

“We hope that more sponsors will see how well this is done this year and want to join in next year – and then truly build it to a five- or six-block radius through downtown Lubbock,” Rampy said.

Photo backdrops & other highlights

“It is the arts district, so we’ve tried to bring art back to it. And so we’ve got several organizations like High Point Village, South Plains College, Lubbock ISD, that are painting Christmas photo opportunity backdrops. You’ll be able to take pictures with your family,” Rampy said.

Citizen State Bank built one too.

“It will look like a miniature bank with rocking chairs on the porch – a beautiful little Christmas scene. If your family hasn’t taken Christmas pictures for their Christmas card, this is going to be the place to come and do that,” Rampy said.

Santa will be there for Lights at LHUCA on December 5, 9, and 13 from 5:30-6:30 to take pictures.

“On December 9th, the West Texas Children’s Choir will be at the plaza and they’ll do a concert from 5:30 to 7. That night, United Supermarkets is going to provide [free] cocoa,” Rampy said.

There will also be movie screenings of seasonal classics – December 13 and 19 – and Un(Wine)d with the Arts “Holiday Edition” on December 11.

Rampy said to keep an eye on the LHUCA website for details on specific performances during Lights at LHUCA.

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