Bonnet Springs Park postpones annual light show

LAKELAND, Fla. — Bonnet Springs Park hit pause on its annual holiday light show this year.

Light Up BSP is one of the park’s most popular events, bringing in thousands of visitors. It’s the one event CEO Josh Henderson says takes the longest to prepare.

“We start putting the lights up in November,” Henderson said. “It’s a huge event. We have about a third of a mile of lights that go through the Ag America Heritage Gardens as well as the Crenshaw Canopy Walk.”

Light Up BSP also includes festive music and food. But with the number of people the free event drew last year, Henderson says parking became a hassle. He says his team decided to postpone it this year after hearing from residents.

“The guests said how hard it was to get into the park last year. We had huge attendance growth, and the local area — the roads were backed up for an hour and a half to two hours every night,” he said.

To prevent that from happening again, the park is building two new parking lots that will add nearly 400 spaces. Phase one is already underway just across the street from the Family Welcome Center.

“We’re really looking forward to getting that open,” Henderson said.

Henderson expects construction to be complete just in time for Light Up BSP 2026. In the meantime, he says not all is lost. Staff will be sprinkling holiday cheer throughout the park.

“But there’s not going to be lights and major decorations,” he said. “We are getting in the spirit; we’re just not holding a major event this year.”