(FORT WAYNE) - Christmas Day plans just got a little brighter downtown.
After hearing from families eager to make the popular seasonal attraction part of their holiday tradition, officials announced that Holiday Lights at Parkview Field will now be open on Christmas night. The display will welcome visitors from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 25, a date that had originally been left dark.
The decision came after a wave of public requests, according to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, which manage and operate the event.
"Now that the holiday season is fully upon us, we've been inundated with requests to be open Christmas Day," said Mike Nutter, president of the Fort Wayne TinCaps. "In just our second year of hosting this event, the community has embraced Holiday Lights as an annual family tradition."
Nutter said early winter weather forced many families to reshuffle plans in late November and early December, prompting organizers to take another look at the schedule.
"When the feedback kept coming, we set a plan into action to make it possible," he said.
All of the usual Holiday Lights attractions will be available Christmas night, including food and drinks, train rides, holiday crafts, and plenty of festive photo opportunities throughout the ballpark.
Whether it's a post-dinner outing or a chance to escape the bustle of the day, organizers say the added date gives families another way to celebrate together. Warmer-than-usual temperatures are also expected, making for what Nutter called a "comfortable light-viewing experience."
Tickets are $12 per person for all remaining Holiday Lights dates, now running daily through Jan. 3, with Christmas Day officially added to the lineup. Tickets and additional information are available online through the TinCaps.
Parkview Field will shift from holiday sparkle back to baseball mode this spring, with the TinCaps scheduled to open the 2026 season at home on April 7.