NEARLY 300 CARS crowded into the parking lot at Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Saturday evening for the final performance of the church’s fourth annual free Drive-Thru Light Show for families.
The 20-minute shows, which were presented from 6 to 8 p.m. every night from Dec. 15-23, have become an annual tradition since Lincoln’s worship director Tom BetGeorge brought them to the church after he first started doing light shows at his residence in Tracy.
“Then he figured, might as well let’s do it at the church,” said Tyler Graham, the deacon at the church. “He still also does it at his house, which is now in Linden, and it’s beautiful.”
Each of the church shows centered on three animated light bulbs performing skits and Christmas carols including “The First Noel” for the viewers, who tuned into 95.7 FM from their cars to hear the music.
A visitor watches the Drive-Thru Light Show at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Volunteers guide cars out after a performance of the Lincoln Drive-Thru Light Show at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
A visitor records the Lincoln Drive-Thru Light Show on her phone at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Visitors watch the Lincoln Drive-Thru Light Show from their cars at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Saturday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Lights dance along the walls of Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton during a performance of the annual Drive-Thru Lights Show on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Visitors watch the Lincoln Drive-Thru Light Show from their cars at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
The clock counts down until the next performance during the final night of the Lincoln Drive-Thru Light Show at the Lincoln Presbyterian Church in Stockton on Dec. 23, 2023. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)
For those who missed it, mark your calendars for mid-December 2024, when the event is expected to make its return.
Harika Maddala is a photojournalist based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. They are a Report for America corps member and a CatchLight Local Fellow.
