Pine Bluff park's Christmas lights closed until water recedes

PINE BLUFF -- Flooding has temporarily closed Pine Bluff's most popular holiday attraction.

About 20 displays at the Enchanted Land of Lights at Regional Park are under several feet of water after last week's heavy rain.

Touted as the largest outdoor Christmas light attraction in Arkansas, it features more than 240 displays -- many of which are animated -- along a 1.3-mile path.

The park sits next to Lake Langhofer, which is fed by the rain-swollen Arkansas River. The river level peaked at just more than 38 feet on Monday and has since fallen to about 35 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Flood stage is 42 feet, though parts of Regional Park that sit in lowland areas still flood.

Greg Gustek, executive director of the Pine Bluff Festival Association, said the display will likely remain closed until at least Friday or Saturday.

Gustek said workers removed electronics that were attached to the display's animated scenes and placed them in storage to dry out. He said he doesn't know how much damage will need to be repaired.

The flood comes just a few weeks after workers scrambled to repair several vandalized displays.

A spokesman for the Pine Bluff Police Department said an investigation is still ongoing, though no suspects have been identified. Police had been conducting extra patrols in the area to prevent further vandalism.

Gustek said someone likely hoped to strip copper wire from the electrical cords and sell it. However, the cords are not industrial and do not contain significant amounts of copper, he said.

Before the vandals struck, an earlier flood destroyed much of Regional Park's electrical system. Gustek said the control boxes for the lighting display had to be completely rebuilt after that water receded.

With all of the setbacks, the display still opened on time Nov. 17, though without the official ceremony that had been scheduled. Heavy rain canceled the festivities, but the lights were turned on as planned.

Many in and around Pine Bluff have been disappointed that they cannot visit the lighting display with their children. It's become an annual tradition for Pine Bluff residents such as Jackson Miller, 27, who said he has driven through the park with his family since the lights were first illuminated in 1997.

He had been planning to take his young nephews, who were visiting from Ohio for Thanksgiving, to see the display for the first time.

"It's disappointing, because I know how much wonderment seeing all those twinkling lights and animated scenes can bring to young children," Miller said. "Growing up, it was always a wonder to me. It's sad to see all of the problems that have happened to the display this year. They just haven't caught a break."

State Desk on 12/03/2015

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