Sparkling Surprise is back with even more sparkle than last year, featuring a spectacular display of close to 200,000 holiday lights.

The month-long event kicked off at Surprise Party, when the mayor and City Council lit the city’s new Christmas tree with 18,000 colored lights that move to music.

Sparkling Surprise is free to experience. Light features span Surprise Community Park and outside Surprise Stadium.

The area will be illuminated each night from 5:30 to 10 p.m., through Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Attendees will encounter themed lands including toy land, under the sea and candy cane lane; floating trees on the lake and photo opportunities.

For added fun, check out the city’s children’s book, written and illustrated by the Surprise Parks and Recreation Department. Residents can follow Sparkle the Surprise dog as she leads you through each enchanted land with a map

The Surprise Recreation Campus is located at 15960 N. Bullard Ave.

For the safety of those attending Sparkling Surprise, Bullard will be closed between Paradise and Tierra Buena lanes, 24 hours a day, through Jan. 3. The south Surprise Regional Library parking lot will also be closed during this time.

As an alternate route from Bell Road heading south on Bullard, traffic will be detoured east on Paradise, around the curve to travel west on Tierra Buena.

From Greenway Road heading north on Bullard, traffic will be detoured east on Tierra Buena Lane, around the curve to travel west on Paradise.

The Surprise Stadium parking lot is limited to access from Paradise to Buck O’Neil Way.

For information about Sparkling Surprise, head to surpriseaz.gov/SparklingSurprise, or contact the Parks and Recreation Special Events Division at 623-222-2000.