Get in the holiday mood with fun light displays across the Bluegrass State
Ready for some holiday spirit? From Louisville to Ashland, Lexington to Grand Rivers, Owensboro to Bowling Green and more – lights will be twinkling all around Kentucky!
Louisville Mega Cavern(link is external)’s annual Lights Under Louisville(link is external) drive-through light spectacular is set for November 15-January 4, 2021. Visitors will see over 850 characters lit up with over 3 million lights! Drive your own vehicle during the evening or tour with The Christmas Express, an open-top trailer, during the day. Before or after your day tour, enjoy underground adventures like the zip line, aerial ropes challenge course, bike tour or walking tour.
Experience the twinkling of millions of lights nestled in the majestic woods of historic Iroquois Park in Louisville at the Winter Woods Spectacular(link is external)! Open nightly November 28-December 31, enjoy a magical drive that will transport you to an ethereal winter wonderland.
See Ashland’s Winter Wonderland of Lights Festival the week before Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day! Since 1988, the festival has been illuminating the 52-acre Central Park with over 60 displays and 800,000 lights. Kids especially enjoy riding the Winter Wonderland Express train and visiting Ashland’s oldest home, host to old St. Nick. The festival also organizes one of the state’s largest Christmas Parades. Stay tuned to their Facebook page(link is external) for the latest information.
Mark your calendars – Southern Lights Holiday Festival(link is external) at the Kentucky Horse Park(link is external) is set for November 22 – December 31! This annual event in Lexington attracts 120,000 visitors and is listed among the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. Start at the park’s campground entrance and take in the holiday light displays from the comfort of your car.
Visit Patti’s 1880s Settlement(link is external) in Grand Rivers for an old-fashioned small-town holiday feel. Patti’s Festival of Lights, with over 750,000 lights, begins the first Friday of November and runs every evening through the second week of January. Downtown gets into the spirit too, usually offering variety shows at the Badgett Playhouse(link is external).
Over in Owensboro is the annual Christmas at Panther Creek festival(link is external), offering a drive-through light display with over 400,000 lights. The light display is usually open from 6-9 p.m. each night from November to January. Santa’s Lookout(link is external), a drive-through Christmas light experience in Bowling Green, runs from November 27-December 31.
Paducah Power System illuminates Noble Park with Christmas in the Park(link is external), making it a popular holiday attraction November 25-December 31. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to bring either a food or monetary donation for local charities.
Elizabethtown will light up Freeman Lake Park nightly from 6-11 p.m. starting November 25 through January 1 with Christmas in the Park(link is external). And Buffalo Trace Distillery(link is external) in Frankfort has an annual Lighting of the Trace event that will be held on December 3, to kick-off the holiday season. You can go on a candlelight tour, enjoy carols and stories and drive through the grounds to see the more than 145,000 lights.
Before visiting Kentucky attractions, please check businesses’ websites and social channels for the latest COVID-19 information.
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