Overview Lighting of the Square kicks off the holiday season in Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. Thousands of families pack the historic Bentonville Square for the moment more than 30 miles of holiday lights switch on at once. The night draws about 15,000 people and is free to attend. Downtown Bentonville Incorporated (the nonprofit that runs downtown’s events) puts it on with the City of Bentonville. On site The square fills with live music, Santa photos, free family activities and cultural showcases all evening. The big moment is the countdown and the lights coming on across the whole square. Past nights have added extras like a surprise laser light show. Shops and restaurants around the square stay busy all night, and the evening kicks off the downtown holiday season. Audience The crowd is local families and Northwest Arkansas residents, with kids, parents and grandparents out together. Bentonville is home to Walmart’s headquarters and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the region is one of the fastest-growing in the country. The people on the square are the same shoppers and decision makers that consumer brands work hardest to reach. Brand presence A brand can own the countdown moment, with its name on the stage and in the countdown as 15,000 people watch the lights come on. A hot cocoa or warm-up station gives families a reason to stop on a cold November night and try a product. A branded Santa photo spot puts the logo in thousands of family holiday photos that get shared long after the night ends.