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Bentonville Square Lights Up Despite Heavy Winds And Rain

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) – Mother Nature tried her hardest to get the lights ceremony cancelled Saturday night (Nov. 22) at the Bentonville Square, but the ligh...

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) - Mother Nature tried her hardest to get the lights ceremony cancelled Saturday night (Nov. 22) at the Bentonville Square, but the lights were turned on at 6 p.m.

Crews were seen trying to get tents and the stage taken down before they were blown away. Gusts were reported as high as 40 miles-per-hour.

Some people that came out to the square said it was worth standing in the rain to see the thousands of lights turned on.

"We love the holiday season, and the city of Bentonville does such a good job in putting together the lights and having a feeling of community, so we wanted to be a part of it regardless of the weather," Bella Vista resident Robin Parker said.

Parker and her daughter Casey said the only thing they were disappointed about was the lack of ceremony. A box reading "One Gazillion Volts" sat on the stage, but the switch was never flipped.

"We were waiting in the back, because we thought maybe they would say a few words, and then all of a sudden...boom the lights were on," Parker said.

Quinn Woodell works on the Bentonville Square, and said he was in the Walmart Musuem building on the third floor facing the square when the lights came on. He said he and his co-workers had a watch party for the event.

"We were just watching it, like waiting for the countdown, waiting for something to happen, and then it was like on...okay that's great," Woodell said.

The rain and cancellation of the ceremony didn't stop people from enjoying the lights. One couple was even seen getting engaged near the fountain.

Eight-year-old Briana Huston said she loves the lights and comes every year with her family, but she did have one suggestion.

"I think there should be more colors," Huston said.

The lights will stay on throughout the holiday season.

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