My preschooler squealed with delight as we drove through our city’s downtown area yesterday. Crews were busy stringing lights, trimming trees and hoisting the gigantic Christmas angel above Main Street. The countdown to Christmas is on and my daughter couldn’t be happier.
While most of us are still eating Halloween candy, there are some communities that are moving full steam ahead with their holiday light displays. While the vast majority of Christmas displays don’t start until December, there are a few places where you can take in the festive sights right now.
The Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia unveiled its Winter Festival of Lights last week. The Mitchell Park Conservatory (a.k.a. “The Domes”) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin kicks off its Scandinavian Holiday Show Dome in about 10 days. Meanwhile, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the drive-through Bright Lights display in Forest Park gets underway on November 26th. In Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lights up Temple Square November 28th and Arkansas offers a trail of holiday lights around the state in 64 communities, beginning on Thanksgiving Day.
In Des Moines, Iowa the city will host a nighttime drive-through lighting display called “Jolly Holiday Lights” at Water Works Park, beginning November 25th, while Houston’s Uptown Holiday Lighting begins November 27th along Post Oak Boulevard. If you are in Los Angeles on November 23rd head to The Grove (a massive upscale mall) for the annual lighting of a 100-foot fir decorated with 10,000 lights and 15,000 ornaments.
In addition to parks, Main Streets, and malls, many historic homes and hotels also host elaborate holiday light displays. The Biltmore, in Asheville, North Carolina boasts one of the most spectacular Christmas displays in the country. Likewise, The Mission Inn in Riverside, California hosts an incredible Festival of Lights beginning November 28th, and the best part… you don’t need to stay at the hotel to take in the sights and sounds of their awe-inspiring seasonal display.
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