Making spirits bright

Dallas' most enchanting holiday wonderland will light up Fair Park for 2021

Enchant is back to enchant.

Photo courtesy of Enchant Christmas

UPDATE 9-29-2021: Tickets for Enchant Christmas, the whimsical and magical Christmas light maze and village, go on sale Thursday, September 30 at 10 am.

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Dallas' Fair Park will twinkle and shine this holiday season as the new location for Enchant, the magical Christmas lights event that dazzled Dallas-Fort Worth for two years before it sadly went dark in 2019.

The festive light maze and village will welcome guests November 26-January 2 at the Esplanade at Fair Park.

Themed "The Great Search," the light maze — the big highlight of the event — will take visitors "on a quest within the mystical forest of millions of twinkling lights and a world of wondrous art installations as they journey to save Christmas," a release says.

Enchant will also include a chance to glide down the Ice Skating Trail, sample gourmet holiday treats from around the world, shop at the artisan Christmas market, and meet Santa.

Enchant: World's Largest Christmas Light Maze & Market is a touring event from Canada that debuted in Arlington in 2017 and ran for two years in and around Globe Life Park. But construction of the Rangers' Globe Life Field forced it to shut down in 2019, and it did not return for 2020. A new, immersive experience called Luminova Holidays took its place.

In its two years, Enchant had become a favorite outing for families, couples on dates, and Instagrammers seeking for the perfect holiday selfie. More than 600,000 people visited the attraction in two cities — Arlington and Vancouver — in 2018.

“I can’t tell you how much it means to us to be returning to North Texas this year," says Enchant founder and CEO Kevin Johnston in the release. "Providing magical Christmas experiences is at the heart of what we do, and I know I am definitely ready to go back out and celebrate the festivities with my family, and I can imagine many of our guests feel exactly the same way."

According to the release, highlights of the 2021 experience will include:

The Christmas Light Maze – “The Great Search” takes guests through a twinkling wonderland in search of Santa’s missing gifts.
Christmas Market – Taste seasonal delights and shop for holiday gifts from dozens of local vendors showcasing home decor, jewelry, gourmet foods, and more. (Vendor applications are being accepted at EnchantChristmas.com.)
Star Experiences – A "VIP" type experience that includes full-service catering and more. They're now accepting reservations for holiday parties.
Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus – Santa will be on site for holiday photos, and Mrs. Claus will lead story time for the little ones.
Food and Beverage – Holiday-themed food and drinks that aim to please everyone.
Ice-Skating Trail – An Ice-Skating Trail adorned with spectacular light displays. Skates can be rented at the event.

“It’s only right that one of the biggest and brightest holiday events in Texas comes to the home of some of the biggest events in Texas," says Peter Sullivan, Fair Park manager, in the release. "We’re looking forward to hosting this world-class holiday experience.”

This is the second major holiday event to announce its grand return for 2021, as last year's smash hit Radiance! Holiday Light Spectacular recently unveiled big plans for both Halloween and Christmas throughout Dallas Fort Worth.

Enchant ticket details will be announced in September. For more information, visit EnchantChristmas.com.

holidays

MOVING ON UP

Texas rises through the ranks of most innovative states, says new report

Photo via Getty Images

Texas has seen year-over-year improvement on an annual list that ranks states based on their innovation economies.

The Lone Star State has again taken a step up on an annual report that ranks the most and least innovative states in the country — this time cracking the top 15.

Texas ranked No. 15 in personal finance site WalletHub's 2023’s Most and Least Innovative States ranking. It's a steady improvement for the state, which ranked No. 16 in 2022 and No. 17 in 2021.

The report analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia and how each performed across 22 key metrics, including population of STEM professionals, venture capital investment activity, number of technology companies, patents per capita, and more. The data was pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics, United States Patent and Trademark Office, and other records.

Here's how Texas performed at a glance:

No. 18 – for share of STEM professionals
No. 16 – for projected STEM job demand by 2030
No. 25 – for eighth grade math and science performance
No. 21 – for share of science and engineering graduates aged 25 or older
No. 13 – for share of technology companies
No. 31 – for R&D spending per capita
No. 18 – venture capital funding per capita

For the 11th year, Texas won Site Selection Magazine's Governor's Cup, the governor's office announced earlier this year. The award, which Texas has won 19 times since its inception in 1978, recognizes the nation’s top-performing state for job-creating business relocations and expansions.

"Texas truly is America’s economic engine, and we stand apart as a model for the nation. When choosing where to relocate or expand their businesses, more and more innovative industry leaders find themselves at home in our state," Governor Greg Abbott says in a news release about the award.

"I congratulate the exceptional economic development teams at the local, regional, and state level who have worked so diligently to attract and retain these growing businesses and the jobs they create in diverse communities across this great state," he continues.

The most innovative states included the District of Columbia, which ranked at No. 1, followed by Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, and California, respectively. The least innovative state was identified as Mississippi, followed by Louisiana, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Arkansas, respectively.

Source: WalletHub

Access to quality education is a significant contributor to each state's innovation economy, the experts say in the report.

"Investing in education, particularly K-12 but also at the University level, it is no accident that innovative ecosystems develop in states with strong education systems and research universities," says David L. Deeds, professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. "These institutions build strong capable modern workforces that attract capital, and jobs and create innovations. The benefits do not happen overnight, in fact, they take years if not decades, but consider what The UC’s or the University of Texas at Austin have meant for the development of premier innovative ecosystems."

Texas WalletHub innovation

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