Need a boost of holiday cheer while you are traveling for the holidays? While most cost a little bit, depending on the size of your group and vehicle, some are completely or partially free holiday events. Visiting one (or more!) of these amazing drive-through Christmas light displays will certainly get you in the holiday spirit!
This Christmas season, drive with your family through a tunnel of lights. It is a great way to continue (or begin) the great Christmas tradition of seeing twinkling lights from the comfort and safety of your car, a great option in the current situation with COVID! In late November of every year, all along Interstate 20 in the southern United States, I-20 boasts some of the most elaborate and interesting light shows.
1. FANTASY OF LIGHTS-Sumter SC: Drive-Through & Holiday Village
The Fantasy of Lights is the most eastern display on our list and it is absolutely free! Hours are 6-9 Monday through Thursday and 6-10 Friday through Sunday, every day in December. Make sure you take this great opportunity to visit a winter wonderland from the comfort of your own car.
This is a drive-through event with over a million festive lights. The park is themed after Swan Lake and is an amazing Winter Wonderland of lighting displays! The Pilot Club sponsors a floating Christmas tree, but keep going and your family will enjoy Santa’s Village at the North Pole, Angels, and almost any cartoon character you can name.
2. FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS-Atlanta GA: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Festival of Lights is a family-friendly drive. The pricing is straightforward- Monday through Thursday the charge is $25 per car whereas Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the fee goes up to $35. Large vehicles are not allowed because there are low overhangs and some of the sharp curves buses and passenger vans are unable to navigate.
Get in the holiday spirit and create one of your family’s magical nights in Atlanta’s Atlantic Station neighborhood. Spend 15 minutes seeing Santa’s Sleigh, animated lights, and holiday trees while social distancing in your vehicle.
3. LIGHTS OF LIFE-Marietta GA: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Lights of Life is overseen by Life University and almost guarantees you will have happy holidays! This festive drive is very affordable at $10 for cars and only $20 for buses, so bring the whole family. They are open from dark until 9 PM Sunday through Thursday and dark until 10 PM Friday and Saturday. The holiday displays begin Thanksgiving Day and run through the end of December.
Lights of Life creates a garden of light, filled with Christmas trees and wonderful holiday scenes. You can enjoy this drive-through display from the comfort of your car and it is more than you expect! Everyone loves this 1-mile drive with a million and a half lights, making it one of the area’s premier Christmas events.
4. CANDY CANE LANE-Calhoun, LA: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Get your candy canes on and increase the world’s Christmas cheer! Candy Cane Lane is a one-mile show whose drive-through Christmas light displays boasts a whopping million lights! Family vehicles are charged $20 and commercial vans are $40. Since 2017 when it began, the hours of operation are 6-10 PM seven days a week. The display runs from November 12 through December 31st.
This popular drive-thru Christmas venue for holiday fun is a relatively new location and increases in popularity every season because new displays are continually added. Bring your hot cocoa and cozy up in the car!
5. PINEY PARK-Marshall TX: Holiday Village
Brand new, Piney Park is not an actual drive-through park, but a walk-through display set up as a village. Running from November 18 through December 31, the event is open Mondays through Saturday and closed Sundays. Hours of operation are 6 PM through 10:30 PM.
The village features live Christmas music, a 45’ Christmas tree, a Trail of Lights, a Light Maze, and Food trucks. Santa is there, so make this a holiday tradition. They even have fun things to do such as crafts for the kids.
6. CARMELA’S MAGICAL SANTA LAND-Longview TX: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Carmela’s Magical Santa Land just might have the largest holiday light display, with more than 4 million lights over one mile. It is individually funded, so every holiday season it is free to the public.
This show began as a home display and grew to become the massive Christmas light show we can visit today. It is located along I-20 and it costs you absolutely nothing.
Turn your vehicle into Santa’s sleigh, listen to holiday music on your car radio, and drive through a light tunnel. You could bring some hot chocolate, and have the best time ever while you enjoy these points of light and intricate spectacles! No credit card is needed since you don’t need to purchase tickets at all and there isn’t any additional fee to enjoy the display!
7. SANTA LAND- Tyler TX: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Santa Land began in 1995, making it one of the longest-running drive-through light displays along Interstate 20. The prices are $30 for vehicles with up to 10 passengers, $60 for vehicles with 11-20 passengers, and vehicles with more than 20 passengers will need to pay $5 per person.
Additionally, your family can take a wagon ride pulled by a tractor. These rides are available for $15. They don’t take reservations, but they ask that you notify them ahead of time that you are coming with a big group. You can do this through their Facebook page.
The show runs from November 13 through January 7. Hours of operation are 6-10 PM daily.
Vehicle sizes are capped at 36’ long and 11” high to ensure they fit through all of the displays with ease/
Pictures with Santa Claus are offered on Thanksgiving for $10 or a thumb drive for $25. The gift shop is open from 6 to 9 PM.
The line to get into the display is monstrous, so use the bathroom before you get there.
This is the region’s largest Christmas light show and using the magic of lights, you’ll visit Santa’s workshop and experience the special effects that make a Christmas village come to life. Different songs played along the display help to keep you in the holiday mood.
Santa Land is a long-time East Texas staple and maybe because I grew up in the area, I think it’s one of the best. For more information, you can visit their website here.
8. SANTA’S COUNTRY CHRISTMAS- Seagoville TX: Drive-Through Christmas Light Display
Santa’s Country Christmas is a holiday extravaganza located just south of Interstate 20 in Seagoville Texas. The drive-through Christmas light displays feature 2.5 million Christmas lights and incredible art installations.
Holiday light shows include tributes to 911, our military, front-line workers, and more each year. With synchronized music and animated displays, your Christmas joy will overflow!
9. PRAIRIE LIGHTS- Grand Prairie TX: Drive-Through & Holiday Village
Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie is one of the largest municipal drive-through Christmas light displays around and will make a very merry Christmas for your family. It is located away from Main Street on Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake.
Cars are $40, limos and buses are $80, and commercial buses are $120. They open at 6 PM daily and run from Thanksgiving Day until December 31.
The city created this Holiday Village, and concessions are available to make your time even more enjoyable; who knows, they might even have hot chocolate! There are also fun carnival rides for the children.
Make sure you walk through the enchanted forest with your kids, then visit Santa, and fill your eyes and hearts with these Christmas light displays.
THANKS FOR READING!
Over the course of our lives, we have lived along and/or traveled along the I-20 corridor more times than we can count. The post featuring drive-through Christmas lights displays is the first of others we have planned for that stretch of highway.
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