City Proposes $300,000 Drive‑Through Holiday Display at Candy Cane Park Using CVB Funds

Parks staff presented a bid package and recommended awarding a contract to install a large drive‑through holiday display at Candy Cane Park. The low responsive bid was $300,000 (Southern California Lighting); two other responsive bids were higher. The proposal describes multiple themed zones (Candy Cane, Frozen, Whoville, Starry Night, North Pole), four 50‑foot tunnels, tree wrapping, stage lighting, temporary electrical using city‑owned generators and a staffed drive‑through format. Staff said the contractor would install, operate and remove the displays and retain ownership of the assets; the city would pay the contractor for a one‑year event and store no permanent displays.

Staff proposed to fund the installation entirely from Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) hotel‑occupancy funds. Council members asked about duration, staffing (police and fire for safety), potential generator fuel costs, traffic staging and coordination with TxDOT and private property owners for overflow stacking. Staff said the event would likely run on weekends in the weeks before Christmas, with staging and stacking plans using nearby parking lots as needed; staff also suggested sponsorship and in‑kind support options to offset cost and discussed potential supplemental features (carousel or ice rink) as future add‑ons.

Council agreed the event would not replace the downtown tree lighting or the existing "Christmas on Main" activities. Staff said they would provide a marketing plan and consider vendor or sponsorship opportunities; the item was scheduled for a vote at the next regular meeting.