Holiday Guide · Lights
Drive-Thru Light Shows and Town Light Festivals 2026
Not every holiday light show is at a zoo or a botanical garden. Some you drive through with the radio on, some fill a downtown square, and one is a whole Tucson neighborhood that has lit its streets since 1949. This guide lists 25 drive-thru light shows and town light festivals for 2026, grouped by region and sorted by opening date. Each one links to its USA Fest Bot listing and its official site.
Each date below matches its USA Fest Bot listing and was last checked on the official source between September 6 and October 28, 2026. Check the organizer’s page for hours and tickets before you go.
Six of the biggest and longest-running
- Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada: November 6, 2026 – January 3, 2027. More than 6 million LED lights on a 3-mile drive.
- Oglebay Festival of Lights, Wheeling, West Virginia: November 5, 2026 - January 3, 2027. A drive-through route plus Santa’s Village and zoo light shows.
- Rhema Christmas Lights, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma: November 25, 2026 - January 1, 2027. About 110 acres of lights, a tradition since 1982.
- Nights of Lights, St. Augustine, Florida: November 21, 2026 – January 18, 2027. About 3 million white lights on a historic downtown.
- Bentleyville "Tour of Lights", Duluth, Minnesota: November 21 - December 26, 2026. A walk-through with fire pits and Santa on Duluth’s waterfront.
- Winterhaven Festival of Lights, Tucson, Arizona: December 12 - 26, 2026. A neighborhood that has lit its streets since 1949.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Oglebay opens first, on November 5. Ocean City follows on November 19, and the rest open the weekend before or after Thanksgiving. Oglebay and Orchard of Lights are drive-throughs, while Ocean City and the Pawtucket festival are on foot.
Oglebay Festival of Lights
Millions of lights across Oglebay Park Resort, built around a drive-through route, plus Santa’s Village with skating and train rides.
Ocean City Winterfest
A walk-through at Northside Park with a Field of Lights, a 50-foot tree, bonfires and Santa. Pets are welcome on Wednesday evenings.
Orchard of Lights at Demarest Farms
A guided drive through 32 acres of displays, about 20 to 25 minutes with the radio on 107.9 FM. Oversized vehicles and transit vans can’t go through.
Lewis Christmas Light Show
A family display in Warwick since 1996, with 192 light channels synced to music on 106.9 FM. Donations go to The Autism Project of Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Lights Festival
A walk-through light show inside Centreville Bank Stadium, with a holiday market, Santa and seasonal food. The closing weekend is January 1–3.
The South
The Light Park in Oklahoma City opens November 5 and James Island on November 13. The Tennessee Valley Railroad’s lights train starts the day after Christmas and runs the longest, to January 10.
The Light Park
A mile-long drive-thru at OKC Fair Park’s Gate 5. Headlights off, radio on, and cars roll at 3 mph past lights timed to holiday songs.
Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park
A Lowcountry tradition since 1990, with more than 750 lighted displays, a holiday train and Santa. Open 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Lights of the Ozarks
More than 500,000 LED lights on the Historic Downtown Square. Light Night on November 20 starts the season, then the lights shine nightly from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Nights of Lights
About 3 million white lights across the historic downtown, best seen on foot. The season opens with Light-Up! Night on the Plaza de la Constitución.
Holiday Lights on the River
A drive-through at Saluda Shoals Park with animated displays over three miles. Open 6 to 10 p.m., with Santa on set nights.
Rhema Christmas Lights
Rhema Bible Church has lit about 110 acres since 1982, including a 50-figure nativity. Drive through, walk the grounds or ride the Rhema Express train.
Holiday Christmas Lights Train at Tennessee Valley Railroad
An after-Christmas evening ride of 60 to 65 minutes, with lights at the depots and along parts of the route and a pass through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel.
The Midwest
Most Midwest shows open around Thanksgiving. Cedarburg and Cedar Rapids wait until early December, and Mandan stays lit the longest, to January 9.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
Downtown parks and Wisconsin Avenue lit with more than half a million bulbs and signature chandeliers. Kickoff is November 19.
Bentleyville "Tour of Lights"
A walk-through at Bayfront Festival Park with fire pits, hot chocolate and cookies. Santa is there nightly through December 23.
Kiwanis Holiday Lights
A volunteer-built display in Sibley Park that you can walk or drive, with live reindeer and music on 90.1 FM. Opening night, November 27, includes a parade.
Mandan Holiday Lights
About a million lights in Dykshoorn & Heritage Park, starting with a Grand Lighting on Main Street on November 27. Open nightly 5 to 10 p.m.
Oshkosh Celebration of Lights
A 2.4-mile drive through the EAA Grounds with a 100-foot tree and animated scenes, all put up by volunteers. Music plays on 101.9 FM.
Illuminate Ozaukee
A drive-thru in Zeunert Park that raises money for the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center. Open December 3–5, 10–12 and 17–23, 5 to 8 p.m.
Five Seasons Lights
A walk-through maze of displays at McGrath Amphitheatre, opening with a lighting ceremony on December 4. Open 4:30 to 9 p.m.
The West
Glittering Lights opens November 6. Two shows open in December: Redmond on December 5 and Winterhaven on December 12, which also closes first, on December 26.
Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
More than 6 million LED lights and 600-plus displays on a 3-mile course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Part of each ticket goes to Speedway Children’s Charities.
Winter Glow Spectacular at Kendall Yards
A community light display at Kendall Yards, with a second one in Chewelah Park. It opens with fireworks on November 21.
Magical Forest at Opportunity Village
A holiday tradition for more than 30 years, with the Forest Express train, a 50-foot slide and Santa. Proceeds support Opportunity Village.
Seattle Center Winterfest
Five weeks of seasonal decor and shows, led by the Winter Train & Village, a model train display that has been a tradition for 50 years.
Redmond Lights
Large illuminated art at Downtown Park and Esterra Park, plus a luminary trail. The kickoff is Saturday, December 5.
Winterhaven Festival of Lights
A neighborhood that has lit its streets since 1949; 2026 is the 77th festival. Open 6 to 10 p.m., collecting food for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
Before you go
Drive-thru or walk-through?
The drive-thrus here are Orchard of Lights, Holiday Lights on the River, The Light Park, the Oshkosh Celebration of Lights, Illuminate Ozaukee and Glittering Lights, and Oglebay is built around its drive. Rhema and Kiwanis Holiday Lights let you drive or walk. Several drive-thrus play their music on an FM station, so a working car radio helps. Orchard of Lights can’t take transit vans or other oversized vehicles.
Not every night
Some shows skip nights inside their date range. Illuminate Ozaukee is open December 3–5, 10–12 and 17–23. The Magical Forest is closed November 30 to December 2 and on Christmas Day. Bentleyville has Santa nightly only through December 23.
More holiday lists
For zoo and botanical garden shows, see our list of zoo lights and garden light shows. We also have national lists of Christmas markets and tree lightings, plus a guide to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
For more, browse holiday lights, Christmas events and holiday parades across the country.
Quick answers
When does Glittering Lights open in 2026?
November 6, 2026, and it runs to January 3, 2027, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
When is the Oglebay Festival of Lights in 2026?
November 5, 2026, to January 3, 2027, at Oglebay Park Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia.
When is Bentleyville in 2026?
November 21 to December 26, 2026, at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, Minnesota.
Looking for something closer to home? Browse holiday lights by state, or see what’s on in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Washington.
USA Fest Bot is not affiliated with any event in this guide and does not sell tickets. Found a date that has changed? Send a correction.