For generations, families across the Lehigh Valley have packed into their cars, poured the hot chocolate, and driven through Lights in the Parkway in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is more than a light show. It is a drive-through tradition that raises money for local nonprofits and creates memories that span generations.
In December 2025, vandals nearly ended the season early.
What Happened
Officials estimated more than $100,000 in losses. Several of the route’s most recognizable displays were destroyed beyond repair, including Old Man Winter, Penguin with the Top Hat, and Fishing Penguins. Hundreds of bulbs were crushed, and infrastructure was damaged. With weeks left in the run and no time to manufacture replacements before it ended, there were real questions about whether the rest of the season could go forward at all.
Back Open the Next Night
When we learned what had happened, our team contacted the City of Allentown and traveled to the site.
Within hours, we loaned the city 22 commercial holiday displays to stand in for the ones that had been destroyed, and city crews went to work restoring the route.
The timing mattered. Allentown’s Move It Monday celebration, featuring a Hanukkah Night in partnership with the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, went ahead as planned. One day later, the full drive-through experience reopened to vehicle traffic, and families were back on the route.
For our Vice President of East Coast Sales, Brian Arnold, helping was never a business decision.
“I’ve always brought my family here, my children and now my grandchild. We enjoy seeing the lights. It’s supposed to be a happy time of year, and this unforeseen thing put a damper on things. We knew we had to do something to make it better.”
After the displays were installed and families returned, Arnold reflected on what the effort meant.
“It makes you feel great you’re helping the community. You are providing a lot of joy for the kids driving by.”
What Happens If a Display Is Damaged Mid-Season
Vandalism, storm damage, and vehicle strikes are the kind of thing every parks director, downtown district manager, and property manager thinks about in December and hopes never to deal with. If it happens on your route, here is how we approach it.
- Call us first. Before anything else, call. We will assess what happened and plan a course of action to get your event lit again. In Allentown, that call led to our team being on site and 22 displays loaned within hours.
- We can send a service team out. For breakage or vandalism, we send a service team to look at the damage in person. Depending on the scale, repairs can often be made on site, which is usually the fastest route back to a fully lit display.
- If a piece cannot be repaired, we look at current stock. Late in the season, there is rarely time to manufacture a replacement before the run ends. What we can do is go through the inventory we have on hand and match the damaged piece as closely as possible on style, dimensions, and scale. That is exactly what the 22 loaned displays were.
- Know what your insurance covers before December. Vandalism is not a warranty item. It is a property insurance question, and it is worth confirming your coverage before the season starts rather than after something happens. Allentown was insured, which is part of why the recovery went the way it did.
- Then rebuild for the next season. Allentown ordered replacements for the displays that were destroyed. Those pieces have been manufactured and delivered, and they will be on the route this year.
Holiday Magic Belongs to Everyone
Commercial holiday decor is not simply about decorating streets and parks.
It is about protecting traditions. It is about giving nonprofits an opportunity to raise funds. It is about supporting local economies as visitors dine, shop, and spend time together.
Most importantly, it is about making sure that when families return each December to the places they love, the lights are still shining.
We are honored that Holiday Outdoor Decor could play a part in preserving one of Pennsylvania’s favorite holiday traditions.
If something happens to a display on your route this season, contact us. We will assess it and plan a course of action to get your event lit!
