by Ah, holiday lights! It’s that magical time of year where locations across Wisconsin light up the night – and let’s face it, December nights are long – with literally MILLIONS of holiday lights, animated displays, showcases, and more. Enjoy many of them from the warm comfort of your vehicle, or pop out and walk to get some fresh air and enjoy the lights and displays up close. Some are free, some charge. Some are drive-thru only, some aren’t. They frequently run through New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. For State Trunk Tour road trippers, we put together over 25 of them for you (28, so far) to check out across the state:
La Crosse: La Crosse Rotary Lights
Open: November 24 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5pm – 10pm daily. Cost: FREE, monetary or non-perishable food item donations are encouraged. Location: Riverside Park, La Crosse (map) off U.S. 53. U.S. 14/61, Highways 33 and 35, and I-90 all bring you close.
Over THREE MILLION LIGHTS?? Yup! Wisconsin’s largest city on the Mississippi does it up as grand as the river abutting the park, not coincidentally named Riverside Park. The parade and opening ceremony is back, happening on November 24th! Helicopter rides have returned, too. Among the splendor at La Crosse Rotary Lights is a 140- foot Christmas tree and plenty of animated light displays. Live nativity presentation on weekends until Christmas. Santa, after opening the festivities, will continue to be there for you and the kids until December 23rd. You can drive through it and listen to the accompanying FM station for the Christmas music vibe. You can walk through or even rent a horse-drawn carriage ride to enjoy the splendor. The Chad Erickson Ice Skating Rink will be open for skating, and a hologram display will remind you it’s the 21st century. All Abilities Night is back on November 29th, where they will adjust the lights and music to accommodate individuals who may not have been able to experience the show in the past due to flashing lights and loud music. All are welcome, all will enjoy! More details.
Lake Geneva: Christmas in the Country at Grand Geneva
Open: November 19 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5pm – 10pm daily. Cost: FREE for the light tours, other events vary. Location: Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva (map) off U.S. 12 & Highways 50 & 120.
Every year, the holidays come to life during the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa’s annual Christmas in the Country celebration. Gaze at more than TWO MILLION Christmas lights, indoors and out, including the family-favorite 12 days of Christmas drive-through light show. Enjoy a variety of activities including Breakfast with Santa, the Igloo Experience, the Gingerbread House Walk, the Trolley Tour of Lights, and more! The six-week-long picture-perfect holiday celebration welcomes resort guests and the community to share in the festive holiday spirit. More details.
Milwaukee: Downtown Holiday Lights Festival
Open: November 16, 2023 – January 1, 2024. Hours: Always available. Cost: FREE, monetary or non-perishable food item donations are encouraged. Locations throughout downtown Milwaukee (map) along U.S. 18. I-43, I-94, I-794, and Highways 32, 38, 57, 59, and 145 all bring you close.
The annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival is BACK in a big way! It’s the 25th year of this celebration, and once again venues across downtown will sparkle with lights and decorations, including the iconic hanging chandeliers up and down Wisconsin Avenue. Watch for massive displays up and down Wisconsin Avenue and at four parks: Zeidler Union Square west of the Milwaukee River, Cathedral Square and Red Arrow Park east of the river, and Pere Marquette Park right along the river. There’s no Jingle Bus this year, but you can drive or walk to enjoy the sights to your heart’s content. A podcast called MKE Jingle Bus Tour will even guide you through five areas of downtown to help you enjoy the lights and sights in five brief episodes. More details…
Franklin: Enchant Christmas at The Rock
Open: November 24 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5pm – 9pm. Cost: $34 for adults 18+; $25.20 for kids 3-17; kids 2 and under free (tickets). Location: The Rock at Franklin Field in Franklin (map) along Highway 36, just a few miles from U.S. 45, I-43, and I-894.
Enchant says they’re the “World’s Largest Holiday Maze” at its amidst a huge lighting display where attendees can wander the maze and search for Santa’s reindeer. There’s the Light Maze; the Village featuring artisan vendors, specialty crafters, and boutiques; the Ice Skating Trail surrounded by towering, twinkling lights; Santa’s Landing, where you can visit Jolly Ol’ St. Nick; and the Little Elves Play Place a terrific space for kids to play and explore. Enchant Christmas runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from November 24th through December 31st, 2023. More…
Sheboygan: Making Spirits Bright
Open: November 24 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5pm – 9pm. Cost: FREE, monetary or non-perishable food item donations are encouraged. Location: Evergreen Park in Sheboygan (map) along Highway 42. I-43 and Highways 23 and 28 all bring you close.
Sheboygan hosts the 13th annual Making Spirits Bright Holiday Light Show from Friday, November 24th through December 31st. Making Spirits Bright takes place at Evergreen Park along Highway 42. You can enjoy a 1.1-mile route through the park, enjoying hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights in displays choreographed to music aired on the dedicated 89.1FM radio setting. The show will be open from 5:00 to 9:00 PM every day except for Christmas Eve. More fun and entertainment can be found across the way at Quarryview Center, which features an entertainment lineup Fridays & Saturdays from 5-9pm through December 23rd. Donations to the Making Spirits Bright show help feed thousands of families in need in the area, so you’re helping a good cause, too! It’s just minutes off I-43. More details.
Marshfield: Rotary Winter Wonderland
Open: November 24 – December 31. Hours: 5pm – 9pm daily. Cost: FREE, monetary or non-perishable food item donations are encouraged. Location: Wildwood Park & Zoo (map) off Central Avenue; U.S. 10 and Highways 13, 80, and 97 all bring you close.
Since 2006, Rotary Winter Wonderland has grown to reach over 1,000,000 lights along with dozens of additional displays. It takes place in Marshfield’s beautiful Wildwood Park & Zoo, were you can enjoy the drive-thru route and/or the walking route. Doing both is recommended to fully enjoy all of the lights and displays. There is no admission charge; however free will donations of food and cash are accepted to help the local food pantries and keep it running. Since it began in 2006, Marshfield Rotary Winter Wonderland has provided over 650,000 food items to food pantries in Marshfield and the surrounding area. Due to the fact that you’re driving or walking through a zoo, please don’t bring your pets unless they’ll stay inside your car for the duration. Enjoy the zoo while you’re there, or even when the Rotary Winter Wonderland isn’t taking place! More details.
Chippewa Falls: Christmas Village at Irvine Park
Open: November 24, 2023 – January 1, 2024. Hours: 7am – 9:30pm. Cost: FREE. Location: Irvine Park (map) off Highway 124; U.S. 53 and Highways 29 and 124 all bring you close.
The Chippewa Falls Christmas Village in beautiful Irvine Park, is an impressive display of life size Christmas scenes reminiscent of the Victorian era and local historical replicas. It is set up during the holiday season along with a dazzling display of over 125,000 lights. It’s been running since 1987 and continues to grow with community support. You can drive through the light displays, the special Community Tree, a historical Christmas Village display on opening night, and the return of holiday music playing throughout the Christmas Village. You can drive through it for $10 per carload, and donation of a non-perishable food item knocks a dollar off of that. Irvine Park itself is a wonder any time of year, and the free Irvine Park Zoo has a great variety of animals to see and learn about. The Leinie Lodge at the headquarters of Leinenkugel Brewing Company is just across the street, too! More details.
Oconto’s Winter Wonderland & Oconto Falls’ Avenue of Lights
Open: November 24, 2023 – January 14, 2024. Hours: 6pm – 10pm daily. Cost: FREE. Locations: Downtown Oconto and Downtown Oconto Falls, both along Highway 22.
A portion of downtown Oconto Falls turns into a holiday drive-through and walk-through along Main Street (Highway 22) and nearby East Side Beach. With Oconto Falls’ Avenue of Lights, the street and beach areas are decked out with thousands of lights for driving through on the main streets, or walking through on the sidewalks or through East Side Beach, which hugs the Oconto River.
Meanwhile, just east in Oconto itself, the Oconto Winter Wonderland offers stunning displays and walk-throughs in parks and along streets. Check out the video below – Highway 22 brings you to both! U.S. 41 also brings you directly to Oconto.
Oshkosh: Celebration of Lights! (On the EAA Grounds this year!)
Open: November 24 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5:30pm – 9:00pm daily. Cost: $20, $5 off with a sealed hygiene item or non-perishable food donation. Location: EAA Grounds at Wittman Regional Airport (map); I-41, U.S. 45, and Highways 21, 26, 44, 76, and 91 all bring you there – or close.
Oshkosh’s brilliant Celebration of Lights is in a different location this year since its usual location, Menominee Park, is undergoing road repairs and an archeological dig – you know how often that happens. So they moved it to the EAA Grounds (yes, where AirVenture takes place) for this year and set it up there – and it’s just as amazing! A 100-foot tree, sculptured scenes, twinkling animated light displays and accompanying holiday music makes this part of Oshkosh magical during the holidays. You can even take a horse-pulled wagon ride through the grounds! New this year, 14-year-old Oshkosh native Brody Enli from Brody’s Christmas Lights for Charity has created a musically-synchronized light display of four fun-filled, festive songs. Santa will be in his Workshop in a November 25 – December 23 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Christmas Eve he will be out with his reindeer delivering presents. General Admission per carload is $10.00, or $9.00 with a hygiene donation. Oshkosh Celebration of Lights is open every day, 5:30-9:00pm, and you can tune in to 101.9 FM or 90.3 FM for holiday music to accompany you through the park. I-41, U.S. 45, and Highways 21, 26, 44, 76, and 91 all bring you to Oshkosh! More details.
Stevens Point: Wylee World Holiday Light Show
Open: November 29, 2023 – January 8, 2024, daily 5pm-midnight. Cost: FREE, but donations are appreciated. Location: 1728 Willow Springs Drive in Stevens Point (map) Highway 66 brings you close, it’s also a short drive off I-39/US 10/US 51.
The Wylee World Light Show offers a fun and beautiful drive-through light experience where the lights dance to music you can tune in on your car radio. The Show swtches on at 5pm and continues through midnight; it also lasts a little longer than most holiday light shows, staying on through January 8th. While free, tips and donations are appreciated and benefit the local humane society. More details.
Somerset: Sam’s Christmas Village & Light Tour
Open: November 24, 2023 – December 31, 2023, closed Christmas Eve. Hours: 5pm – 9pm Sunday – Thursday, 5pm – 9pm Friday & Saturday. Cost: $15 adults for drive-thru, $20 for walk-thru. $10 for kids 3-10, kids 2 & Under FREE; Military ID 50% off. Parking is $10 cash on walk-through nights. Location: 710 Spring Street in Somerset in St. Croix County (map) Highways 35 & 64 bring you close.
Sam’s Christmas Village & Light Tour is a HUGE show that claims over 12 MILLION LIGHTS this year – so it’s probably visible from space! Sam’s, located right along the Apple River in Somerset, features a 1/2-mile walk-through light tour, plenty of woods with trees adorned with holiday lights, a 500-foot light tunnel, and fun for all ages across 40+ acres of holiday beauty. Sam’s also features a European-style Christmas market with plenty of ideas for holiday gifts and treats, and new this year you can enjoy a 50-foot animated light tree, 25 NEW light displays, and new kids’ activities. Mondays and Tuesdays are “drive-thru” only for added safety; the other days are walk-thrus. Sam’s is open seven nights a week. For even more adventure, Sam’s offers S’more Cabins, which you can book starting at $129 and enjoy the heated cabin, a S’more kit for up to 8 people, a campfire starter kit, firewood, and even a special visit from Santa. They have 21 cabins to choose from, and you can book them on drive-thru nights. You’ll find Sam’s Christmas Village & Light Tour just off Highways 35 and 64 in Somerset, Wisconsin, along the Apple River in St. Croix County.. More details.
Pewaukee/Waukesha: Country Christmas at the Ingleside
Open: November 24th, 2023 – January 1, 2024, closed November 30th. Hours: 5pm – 9pm Sunday – Thursday, 5pm – 10pm Friday, Saturday, and Holidays. Cost: $25 per carload Sunday-Thursday, $35 per on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. Location: Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee along I-94 (map). U.S. 18 and Highways 16, 59, 83, and 164 also bring you close.
A Country Christmas celebrates its 27th year at The Ingleside letting families enjoy everything from the comfort of their cars with some walk-through dates available, too! Enjoy unique displays and exhibits like “Bearville,” an area of the trail where you will find giant teddy bears in a church scene, plus a general store, butcher shop, and sausage factory. You can also enjoy Prairieville (Waukesha’s original name) and Old Time Waukesha miniature cities, a new holiday-themed train set display, the Streets of Bethlehem, Christmas Village, and a captivating 200-foot tunnel of 30,000 computerized, pulsating lights! You can drive, walk, or even enjoy a wagon ride on select dates through and around the expansive grounds. The Ingleside Hotel and Country Springs Water Park are right there for lodging and indoor fun! More details.
Caledonia: Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights
Open: November 18, 2023 – January 1, 2024. Hours: 5pm – 9pm Sunday – Thursday, 5pm – 11pm Friday & Saturday. Closed Christmas Day. Cost: $30 per carload, $45 for a large passenger van, $55 for a bus or camper. Location: Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp Resort along Highway 38 in Racine County (map) I-41/94 and Highways 32, 100, and 241 also bring you close.
Caledonia, in northern Racine County just south of Oak Creek, features the Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park along Highway 38. It runs Saturday, November 18th, 2023 through January 1st, 2024. Every display at the Christmas Carnival of Lights is one-of-a-kind; it takes five weeks to set it all up, especially since there are now over TWO MILLION LIGHTS in the trees! You can relax in the safety and comfort of your car as you wind your way through the campground on a 1.6-mile path, with lights on all sides and high above in the trees. Check out one-of-a-kind hand-crafted displays featuring elves, reindeer, forest friends, beloved children’s characters, Santa himself and more – it’s like stepping into one of your favorite Christmas movies. You can also enjoy a separate walk-through display, Santa’s Workshop, and more. You can enjoy sleigh rides or you can book a ride on the Golf Cart Holiday Train for a ride through the grounds and enjoy all the spectacular sights in a way you never could before. Letters to Santa and the new “Evy the Evergreen” – a 7-foot tall, magical Christmas tree that talks, leads friends in Christmas Carols and tells stories like “The Night Before Christmas” – are also part of the family fun. The Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights will partner with the Ronald McDonald House Charities for the holiday season, donating $1 per car, up to 4,000 cars. You can find out more by calling them at (262) 835-2565. More details.
West Allis: Candy Cane Lane
Open: November 24 – December 25, 2023. Hours: 6pm-9pm Mondays-Thursdays; 6pm-10pm Fridays; 5pm -10pm Saturdays; 5pm-9pm Sundays. Cost: FREE, but donations are strongly encouraged, it’s the whole reason they do it. Location: West Allis on 92nd-96th Streets between Oklahoma Avenue and Montana Avenue. It’s just off I-41/894/U.S. 45. (map) Highway 100, I-94, and Highway 59 also bring you close.
Candy Cane Lane is a beautiful drive-through or walk-through show of lights, decorations, and more in a West Allis neighborhood. It dates back to 1984 when neighbors joined together to raise money for the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund by working in concert to decorate their homes and encouraged visitors to make a small donation as they drove through the festively enhanced neighborhood. All of the money raised went to supporting research, treatment, and the eventual discovery of a cure for childhood cancers and related blood diseases. It’s become a tradition, and over $3 million has been raised as people visit from far and wide to drive or stroll through this winter wonderland of holiday sights and sounds. .You can access the streets from Oklahoma or Montana Avenues which run east-west and the residential streets of 92nd through 96th, which run north-south. They’re mere blocks off I-41/I-894/U.S. 45 and a very short drive from I-94, I-43, or Highways 59 or 100. It runs through Christmas Day and the neighbors will be out collecting donations. More details.
Green Bay: WPS Garden of Lights (and the Lake of Lights, too!)
Open: Thursdays – Sundays, November 24 – December 30. Hours: 4:30pm – 9pm. Cost: Adults $13, Seniors & Students w/ID $11, Kids 3-17 $5, Kids 2 and under FREE. Location: Green Bay Botanical Gardens (map) on Larsen Road; I-41 and Highways 29, 32, 54, and 172 all bring you close.
The WPS Garden of Lights brings the magic to the Green Bay Botanical Garden for the 27th year. Experience more than 300,000 twinkling lights, and a spectacular array of botanical-themed light displays featuring an enchanted icicle forest, glistening flowers, a dazzling 60-foot walk-through caterpillar, and much more. The show is topped off with northeastern Wisconsin’s tallest and brightest shining tree. You can enjoy this gorgeous place on foot or on a horse-drawn wagon ride.
Special features include a model train exhibit set up by the G-Gagers Train Club, a campfire for warming up, shopping for holiday gifts at the WPS Trellis Gift Shop, treats from the Winterberry Café, letters to Santa, and more. Be sure to enjoy the “Lake of Lights,” a unique lighting display you have to see to believe (we’re trying to get rights for a picture to share in the meantime!) They are the only display lights of their kind in Wisconsin.
You’ll find the WPS Garden of Lights inside Green Bay Botanical Garden along Larsen Road, just off Packerland Drive. It’s about a mile west of I-41, between Highway 54 and Highways 29/32. I-43, U.S. 141, and Highways 57 and 172 all bring you to Green Bay, too. More details.
De Pere: Holiday Lights on the Fox
Open: Daily except Mondays, November 24, 2023 – January 1, 2024. Hours: 4:30pm – 10pm. Cost: $25/vehicle cash, $30 if paying with card.. Location: Brown County Fairgrounds, 1500 Fort Howard Avenue, De Pere (map) ; directly off I-41 and Highway 32. Highways 57 and 172 also bring you close.
This MILE LONG holiday lights display makes a return after being off last year. With new owners who put up entirely new lights, Holiday Lights on the Fox is a spectacular drive-thru offering additional family-friendly activities. As you drive through, a listen on your radio at 88.7 FM will feature special holiday music. They allow any regular size vehicle.
You’ll find Holiday Lights on the Fox on the west bank of the Fox River just north of downtown De Pere which is also the Brown County Fairgrounds. The ramp from northbound I-41 to Ashland Avenue (Highway 32) practically leads you right there. You access the park right off Highway 32/Ashland Avenue, less than two miles south of Highway 172. More…
Manitowoc: Lights in Lincoln Park Drive-Thru Light Show
Open: November 24th – December 28th.
Hours: 5:00pm – 8:00pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through December 9th; every evening 5:00pm-8:00pm from December 14th – December 28th. Cost: $5 per car. Location: Lincoln Park Zoo (map); I-43, U.S. 10, U.S. 151, and Highway 42 all bring you close.
Every holiday season, Lights In Lincoln Park at Manitowoc’s Lincoln Park Zoo dazzles with a “twinkly bright drive-thru wonder.” Along with beautiful lights on trees, trellises and more, enjoy over 70 wild animal light displays, many with animated characters. Among them is animated elephant, a wood duck, a standing polar bear, an animated wolf, and whispering pine tree… just to give you an idea of what you’ll get to enjoy. This is the 11th annual Lights in Lincoln Park and Santa is back on Friday nights through December 15th for visits, too! More details.
Hales Corners: Boerner Botanical Gardens Winter Wonders Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show
Open: November 24, 2023 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5pm – 9pm. Cost: $35/carload (you can “skip the line” for $45), or get a season pass for $75; other options available. Location: Boerner Botanical Gardens (map) off 92nd Street; I-41/894, I-43, U.S. 45, and Highways 24 and 100 all bring you close.
Boerner Botanical Gardens Winter Wonders Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show ushers in holiday cheer with brilliant light displays, inflatable Santas, and massive, color-changing trees as part of an international-themed drive-thru experience. Included: 1 MILLION bulbs; 2,500 trees; and over 500 classic songs. From Friday, November 24th all the way through Sunday, December 31st (including all holidays), you and your family and friends can enjoy holiday displays from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States on a 1.4-mile route winding through Whitnall Park and the grounds of the Gardens themselves. Theatrical and concert lighting effects change the colors of giant trees and bushes on the route in spectacular fashion. There’s even a mini drive-in theater! The entrance for this route is just off S. 92nd Street between College and Rawson Avenues; the address is 6751 S. 92nd Street, Franklin, WI 53132 for your GPS. It’s the same entrance as Whitnall Park Golf Course. More details.
West Bend: Enchantment in the Park
Open nightly November 24 – December 24, 2023. Hours: 5:00pm – 9:00pm. Cost: $10 adults, $5 for kids 3-12. Location: Regner Park (map) off N. Main Street/Highway 144; Highway 33 is a few blocks south, and the U.S. 45 bypass brings you close.
Enchantment in the Park is Washington’s County major holiday light show, presented by Rotary Clubs in West Bend, Hartford, Slinger/Allenton, and Menomonee Falls. Throughout Regner Park – just north of West Bend’s downtown – you can stroll or drive through a cacophony of holiday lights, enjoy hot cocoa and treats like popcorn and candy, visit Santa on select nights (he’s a busy guy), and even take a horse and carriage ride for $5 on Friday and Saturday nights! A suggested donation of $10 can be made via cash or credit card; they also welcome nonperishable food donations. You can enter the drive-thru via Silverbrook Lane off either Highway 33 or Highway 144; the walk-through entrance is just north of the Silverbrook/Highway 144 intersection. More details.
Madison: Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park
Open: November 11 – December 31, 2023. Hours: Lights on Dusk – Dawn daily, Candy Canes & more on 4:30pm – 10pm nightly. Cost: FREE. Location: Olin Park, 1156 Olin Ct., Madison (map); U.S. 12, U.S. 14, U.S. 18, and U.S. 151 all bring you close.
Madison’s beautiful Olin Park not only offers a view of downtown and the Capitol year ’round, but the Holiday Fantasy in Lights now through January 3, 2021. It’s a COVID-safe, beautiful drive through a series of light displays. Volunteers are available to guide you through the displays, too.
You can access the lights just off John Nolen Drive, which connects the Beltline (U.S. 12/18) with the isthmus via a scenic causeway cutting across Lake Monona. Just turn east on Olin Turville Court, just off John Nolen. More details.
Madison: Henry Vilas Zoo Lights
Open: November 24 – December 30. 2023. Hours: 5:30pm – 8:30pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Bonus days are December 18th-30th; closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. Cost: $10, kids 3 and under are FREE. Location: Henry Vilas Zoo (map); U.S. 151/Park Street gets you closest; U.S. 12, U.S. 14, U.S. 18 all bring you close.
Every holiday season, the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison lights up the night with the glow of nearly one million lights! You can walk through and enjoy the zoo and the animals along with the lights, unlimited carousel rides, even pictures with Santa through December 23rd (he gets pretty busy right after that.) Adult beverages are also available. You can buy tickets online and select your date and time. It is a ticket-timed event. More details.
Janesville: Holiday Light Show at Rotary Botanical Gardens
Open: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays November 24 – December 30, 2023. Hours: 4:30pm – 8:30pm (last ticket sold at 8:30, lights go out at 9:00) Cost: $12 adults, $5 for kids 3-12. Location: Rotary Botanical Gardens (map) off Palmer Drive; I-39/90, U.S. 14, U.S. 51, and Highways 11 and 26 all bring you close.
The Janesville Holiday Light Show at Rotary Botanical Gardens is an annual holiday highlight in the “City of Parks” Fridays through Sundays. Follow the illuminated garden pathways on an evening stroll through the 20-acre botanical gardens, where the wintry garden paths are brought to life with more than 1.5 MILLION lights, themed light displays and animations, beautifully decorated trees, dangling icicle lights hung from the tallest trees in the Garden and more. Santa makes periodic stops and they have other events like Silly Scarf Night, Holiday Sweater Night, and more. Back by popular demand are the Selfie Stops & Photo Opps, with fun props and amazing backdrops that offer holiday photo opportunities both indoors and out. You can also step inside to enjoy a warm beverage as you watch the 200′ electric model train display, hand-sewn quilts, festive local musicians and holiday shopping. Masks are recommended for the indoor areas. Parking on the grounds is free, and an overflow lot nearby offers a free shuttle. More details.
Hudson: Buena Vista: A Stroll in the Park Holiday Lights
Open: November 24, 2023 – February 9, 2024. Hours: 5:30pm – 9:00pm daily. Cost: FREE. Location: Lakefront Park (map) right along Highway 35, just north of I-94 & U.S. 12.
Part of a series of holiday celebrations in this beautiful city on the St. Croix, Hudson hosts its Buena Vista Holiday Lights in Lakefront Park through early February – I mean, why stop at New Year’s?? Thousands of lights and decorations are available for walk-through tours at your leisure through the entire park, right along the St. Croix River. It pairs well with boutique shopping in the downtown streets – the main drag is Highway 35 – and checking out the city’s restaurants, bars, and museums. The nearby Octagon House also has holiday events throughout December. More details.
Fond du Lac: Lakeside Park Holiday Light Show
Open: November 23, 2023 – January 1, 2024. Hours: 5pm – 11pm Daily. Cost: FREE. Location: Lakeside Park (map); I-41, U.S. 45, U.S. 151, and Highways 23 and 175 all bring you close.
At the southern end of Lake Winnebago (hence the city name of “Fond du Lac,” French for “bottom of the lake”) you’ll find another dazzling holiday lights show. Lakeside Park, which consists of the city of Fond du Lac’s shoreline along the state’s largest lake, hosts the Lakeside Park Holiday Light Show with thousands of lights, animated scenes, and holiday music. They even have some featured lit-up trees that will dance to 20 minutes’ worth of holiday songs that you can tune into on your radio! More details.
East Troy: East Troy Lights
Open: December 2nd-December 31st, 2023. Hours: 4:30pm – 9:00pm every day. Location: East Troy Town Square (map); Highway 120 & County ES get you there; I-43 and Highway 20 bring you very close.
East Troy Lights is a downtown holiday light show that offers an interactive and imaginative light display experience that kicks off on Saturday, December 2nd. Included will be the immersive “East Troy Lights Live!” show every Friday & Saturday evening. You can also take control of the lights yourself and create your own holiday magic! There is also a Light Show Simulator for kids (or adults) to try making their own light show scripts for the East Troy Square to begin your own Candy Cane Adventure.
You can get to East Troy via Highway 20, which skims the northern edge of town, or Highway 120 north from I-43 (Exit #36), which brings you right to the town square. County ES, the historic Highway 15 road between Milwaukee and Beloit, also brings you right to the heart of the action. Here’s a sample from last year:
Edgerton: Lights of Central Park
Open: November 25 – December 31, 2023. Hours: 5:30pm – 9:00pm daily. Cost: FREE. Location: Central Park, 310 N. Main Street in Edgerton (map) right along U.S. 51 just north of Highway 59.
Part of the city’s Home For the Holidays celebrations, Edgerton’s lovely Central Park features thousands of lights and holiday displays to enjoy on a free stroll. More details.
Weyauwega Winter Wonderland Light Show
Open: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays December 5-31, 2023. Hours: 5:00pm – 10:00pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Cost: FREE. Location: Downtown Weyauwega. U.S. 10, Highway 49, and Highway 110 all bring you there.
Weyauwega Winter Wonderland consists of decorations and over 50,000 lights in a holiday display synced to music in the downtown area. Winter Wonderland kicks off December 5th and runs through December 31st on weekend nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) beginning at 5pm and ending at 10pm. There will be lights running from the bridge on Mill Street all the way to the “dancing” lights of East Main Street. Drive downtown Weyauwega and tune your radio to 107.7 FM to experience the holiday magic. More details.
Wisconsin Dells: Mt. Olympus Nights of Lights Walk-Through Light Show
Open: Select dates from November 24, 2023 to January 1, 2024. Hours: 5pm – 9pm Friday & Saturday, plus 5pm – 9pm Sunday – Thursday, December 24th-January 1st .
Hit the Dells for a beautiful half mile walk through featuring over TWO MILLION LIGHTS in the area’s largest-ever display of this magnitude! Mt. Olympus Resort & Water Park hosts this “Nights of Lights” event on Fridays and Saturdays from November 24th through December 23rd and every night December 24th through January 1st, 2024. Food and hot cocoa will be available along the way. Also, Santa’s Christmas Village will be available in Mt. Olympus’ Indoor Theme Park from November 26th through Christmas Day. I-90/94, U.S. 12, and Highways 13, 16, and 23 all bring you to the Dells so you can check this out! Admission is free with a stay at Mt. Olympus Resort, too.
Do you have another drive-thru or walk-thru holiday light show we should add? Drop us a line in the comments or message us on our Facebook or Instagram pages! Happy Holidays!
