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Fantasy of Lights celebrating 52 years with Wichita Falls community

Andy Newberry
06 November 2025
5 min read

The North Texas Christmas season will officially begin Monday, Nov. 24, when the beloved MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights illuminates the Hardin Administration Building lawn at Midwestern State University.

MSU Texas President Stacia Haynie will flip the switch just after 6 p.m., marking the 52nd year the lights and displays have graced the campus at MSU Texas, continuing the tradition begun by Lillian and L.T. Burns in the 1920s.

Festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with MSU Texas carillonneur Jim Quashnock playing holiday music on the Redwine Carillon in the Hardin tower at 3410 Taft Blvd. Santa Claus is expected to make the trip from the North Pole for photos and will be available until 8 p.m.

Food trucks scheduled to be on hand include Kafe Maya, Kimmie’s Korn, McKinney BBQ, Razzle’s Italian Ice, and Smetzers Snack Shack.

A new display of two nutcrackers in 2024 brought the total number to 51. The Nutcrackers are the 14^th display added in the past nine seasons.

Some of the displays have added sound this year. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers held a workday on Nov. 8 to help with the electrical requirements of the displays.

For MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights Coordinator Dirk Welch, in his 10th season, this is a wonderful time of the year, and he’s grateful for all the helping hands that make it possible.

“I experienced the magic of the MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights firsthand when I moved to Wichita Falls 22 years ago,” Welch said. “In 2016, I was entrusted with helping to sustain and grow this long-standing tradition. It is so fulfilling to witness the joy, happiness, and connections that occur each MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights season.”

Fantasy of Lights Concert

The MSU Texas Department of Music will present the Fantasy of Lights concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, in Akin Auditorium. The concert is free to the public and will follow the lighting of the displays. Call 940-397-4267 for more information about the concert.

Welch said the supporters of Fantasy of Lights have helped visitors each season “make memories that last a lifetime.”

Display Schedule

After the opening ceremony, the displays will be turned on seven days a week from dusk to 10 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 27. Displays will be turned on from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays for special events. For more information, visit the Fantasy of Lights website or call 940-397-4352.

Admission to the Fantasy of Lights is free. Donations are welcome and needed to maintain the displays and keep the Fantasy of Lights a successful holiday tradition. Donations may be made using the special boxes stationed throughout the displays or online. Call 940-397-4352 for more information.

Fantasy of Lights 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run

The Fantasy of Lights 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, beginning at the Hardin Lawn. Registration for the 5K is $25, $15 for the 1-mile fun run, and $15 for MSU students, all runs. The first 125 contestants to register will receive a long-sleeved race T-shirt. A $25 gift card will be awarded to the fastest male and female 5K runners, the best-dressed holiday-themed male and female participants, and the worst-dressed holiday-themed male and female

participants. All registration proceeds help support the MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights. Check-in and late registration begin at 9:30 a.m. with the race beginning at 10 a.m. Register online.

Santa’s Mailbox

Those special letters to Santa may be deposited in Santa’s Mailbox, which will be available from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19 on the Fantasy of Lights grounds near the Liberty Bell. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for Santa’s reply. Contact the City of Wichita Falls Parks and Recreation office at 940-761-7490 for more information.

Polar Bear Express Trolley

The Polar Bear Express WF trolley will run from 6-10 p.m. Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, through Wednesday, Dec. 25. Tickets are $10, cash only, and can be purchased from the ticket booth near Council Drive and the Hardin Administration Building at MSU Texas. Children under age 5 ride free with an adult. MSU Texas students with a current ID ride free any night the trollies are in operation. Last ride leaves at approximately 9:45 p.m. Check online for updates.

HOT DRINKS

Each day the Polar Bear Express is open it will sell hot chocolate and coffee this year, and Chicka D’s Coffee will be open December 26-27.

Scheduled performances

Unless otherwise noted, performances take place in center front of Hardin Building.

The following choirs and bands are scheduled to perform:

Thursday, Dec. 4

W.F. George Middle School Chair, 6 p.m.

Holliday ISD Jazz Band, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Ben Franklin Elementary School Choir, 6 p.m.

City View Elementary School Choir, 6:30 p.m.

WFISD London Band, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 11

Tower Elementary School Ukulele Club, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Rider Middle School Choir, 6 p.m.

Crockett Elementary School Choir, 6:30 p.m.

Ben Milam Elementary School Choir, 7 p.m.

City View ISD Jazz Band, 7:30 p.m.

History of the Lights

When L.T. and Lillian Burns married in the 1920s, they celebrated their first Christmas with a small tree and a single blue light bulb placed on their porch. With L.T.’s success in the oil industry, they moved to a house on the corner of Clarinda Avenue and Harrison Street, and each Christmas, added more lights and displays to their celebration. He died in a car accident in 1954, but Lillian continued adding to the displays at their home. After her death in 1971, the displays were left to her son, who died in 1974. The lights were then in the care of Archer City. The town offered the lights to Midwestern State on the condition that they be operated free of charge as a memorial to Mrs. Burns. A photo of Lillian greeting visitors is posted near the welcome sign. Today, descendants of the Burns are active in the Fantasy of Lights work and sponsor several of the displays.