JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For the last couple of decades, the community in Jacksonville's East Arlington area boasts some of the best holiday lights displays in the state attracting families from all over the First Coast.
And it all starts the day after Thanksgiving.
Neighbors have been transforming their side of town into a magical display of Christmas lights for more than 15 years now. The spectacle creates quite a buzz around town every year with hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors from Thanksgiving to the New Year.
If you haven't visited before, the Blackhawk Bluff display is really something else. Neighbors hang strings of lights from the trees, some of which even use a bow to shoot them high up into the air. There are dozens and dozens of multicolored stars and balls hanging over the street. Christmas music can be heard for miles as people wait in line up and down Girvin Road.
In the past Girvin Road was a smaller, two-way road and for the last few years has even been under construction creating a headache for local homeowners, and yes, the folks traveling over to view the Christmas lights. However, the project was completed in early 2019! There is hope this will help make the annual traffic buildup more manageable with a wider paved road and sidewalks on either side.
A good piece of advice is to get there early! Don't be surprised if it's bumper to bumper and you have to wait and hour-plus during the thick of Christmastime.
If you're still curious where this display is, look no further than Google Maps!
They even have a "tourist attraction" icon on the map.