9 Must-See Holiday Light Displays
Light up the holidays with these spectacular presentations across the country
by Heather Larson
As the holidays approach, seasonal lighting displays dispel the gloom of lengthening winter nights. Children of all ages can enjoy a variety of light shows, including lanterns, luminaries, candles, and Christmas trees. We've compiled a list of the biggest and best holiday lighting festivities for you to share with your grandchildren.
Seattle's Argosy Christmas Ship Festival
Designed to celebrate Seattle's rich maritime history, the Christmas Ship Festival has taken place in some form since 1949. This year, from November 28 through December 23, you can enjoy Argosy's Spirit of Seattle, ablaze with lights, from different communities in and around Seattle. Folks gather around roaring bonfires to await the arrival of the Argosy ship. Alternatively, you can sail aboard the Christmas Ship or one of the parade ships that follow. Several years ago John Blackman of Seattle took his grandchildren, 8 and 10 years old, aboard the Christmas Ship. He says, "Kelly, my granddaughter, really enjoyed being inside the ship next to the choir that was singing, while Ryan had more fun standing on the outside deck watching the boats in the parade behind the Christmas Ship."
Mystic Seaport Lantern Light Tours
The Museum of America and the Sea, a renowned maritime museum in Mystic, Conn., has scheduled one-hour lantern tours most Fridays through Sundays, starting November 28. A costumed guide, carrying a lantern, leads visitors as they participate in a progressive play that takes them back in time to Christmas Eve, 1876. They tour Mystic Seaport on foot, ride in horse-drawn carriages, take part in a traditional dance, and may even spot old St. Nick. Not recommended for children younger than 4.
Gaylord Opryland's A Country Christmas
Ethel Brown of Owensboro, Ky., adores the Country Christmas Lighting Ceremony at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. "My daughter, granddaughter, and I go every year to the light show where they turn them on all at once." She says, "It's something everyone should see; it makes me happy every time and gets me into the spirit of things." Elves serve hot chocolate and cookies; country music star Louise Mandrell and the New York City Rockettes perform outdoors at the entrance to the convention center; and a huge switch is flipped bringing to life 2 million lights around the hotel and its grounds. This year's ceremony is November 19 after dark.
McConnells, S.C., Historic Brattonsville Candlelight Tours
Gary Williams, of Rock Hill, S.C., says his grandchildren, Peyton, 6, and Taylor, 13, especially like the enchantment of dancing light that the candles and campfires create at Historic Brattonsville, a 775-acre Revolutionary War living history site in McConnells, S.C. This year the candlelight tours, display of live farm animals, and reenactments are set for December 5 and 6, from 3pm to 9pm. More than 60 costumed presenters will depict how Christmas celebrations evolved in the Carolinas from the 1780s to just before the Civil War.
Phoenix's Las Noches de las Luminarias
Seven-thousand hand-lit luminarias, musical entertainment, and cheerful decorations amid the finest collection of desert plants beckon Arizona residents to usher in the holidays. Between December 3 and December 30, sculptures by Apache artist Allan Houser will decorate the Desert Botanical Garden, illuminated by thousands of luminarias — candles inside paper bags. Ten different musical groups, including a jazz band and handbell choirs, will provide sounds of the season.
Breckenridge, Colo., Lighting Celebration
When local Janis Bunchman takes her grandchildren to kick off Breckenridge's Victorian holiday season, they sip hot chocolate while drinking in a snow-filled wintry atmosphere. Lampposts are trimmed with garlands; the historic buildings are decorated with twinkling lights; and fresh snow puts even the grumpiest in a happy holiday mood. Santa leads a caroling procession to light the town tree — December 5 this year. The fun continues with a live outdoor concert and visits with Santa.
Bay Area Menorah Lighting
To celebrate Chanukah in northern California, participants from the North Peninsula Chabad will build a menorah of cans of food that the Jewish organization will distribute to the hungry. Every year the materials used to construct the menorah are different — LEGOs, ice, even chocolate. The event will take place in Washington Park on December 15 from 6 to 7:30pm. It's free, and everyone is welcome. Munch on latkes while the menorah is lighted on the fifth night of the Festival of Lights.
Branson, Mo., Alive with Lights
The Trail of Lights is a drive-through animation display that leads visitors through a historic 160-acre homestead. Open from November 1 to January 2, the lighting displays include a Victorian village, North Pole village, and the Land of Sugar & Spice. Also in Branson, the Silver Dollar City Theme Park becomes a wonderland for An Old Time Christmas. A musical, five-story, special-effects Christmas Tree twinkles in the square. More than four million lights and twice-a-night parades highlight the park celebrations from November 7 to December 30.
Beverly Hills, Calif., Lighting Ceremony
Oh so ritzy Beverly Hills, Calif., kicks off the holidays at 3pm, November 21, with a Rodeo Drive street festival featuring balloon artists, face painters, and live music. Fireworks cap the event.
Next article in the Holiday Guide: Where To Say Hello to Santa
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