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Dazzling Holiday Displays Light Up Upstate

posted by Teresa Farrell at 2024-12-10 17:37:00

No matter which region of Upstate New York  you’re in, there are holiday light shows running this winter that you won’t want to miss out on. Many of them continue into January, so even once the hectic holidays are over, you can still make time to get into the spirit of the season and brighten up the dark days of winter. 


In Tupper Lake, the natural beauty of the Adirondacks  is lit up by Wild Lights at the Wild Center, with a magical walk-through display of decorated trees. Wild Lights  is open from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through February 22, and open nightly from December 26 -31 and February 14-22.

Meanwhile, in the Capital Region, Holiday Lighted Nights  at the Washington County Fairgrounds is open 4:30 to 9 p.m. each Thursday through Sunday until December 30 and features mile and a half of holiday-themed light displays to drive through while listening to a playlist of holiday tunes, plus a holiday market at the fairground store with hot cocoa and apple cider donuts. And to the south, in the Catskills, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts  is back with their Peace, Love and Lights  show, which puts a groovy spin on the traditional holiday lights. Drive the nearly two-mile path through the dazzling light displays nightly between 5 and 10 p.m. from now until New Year’s Eve.


The Hudson Valley has plenty of light displays to see as well. Wonderland of Lights, held at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, is open nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. from December 12 - 29; and Westchester’s Winter Wonderland  in Valhalla is open nightly through December 31, except on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when it will be closed.


In Central New York, Syracuse’s  festive Lights on the Lake  is open until January 13. This two-mile-long drive through Onondaga Lake Park features an extensive collection of holiday lights and displays set to the sound of holiday music, and it has become a famous favorite in the region. In nearby Chittenango, the Wild Animal Park  features a walk-through Winter Wonderland of Lights, with light displays and some of the animals out and about to be seen as well; check their Facebook page  for dates and times.


Western New York  is home to several light shows. Outside of Rochester, in the town of Victor, the RocLights Holiday Light Show at Victor Hills  drive-through event, which winds through a mile-and-a-half-long path through the Victor Hills Golf Club with more than 20 light displays to enjoy, is celebrating its final year in 2024, with various dates open until December 28.


And outside of Buffalo, the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights  is back at the fairgrounds in Hamburg, with more than 70 light displays to drive through as well as a chance to get out and walk around to enjoy festive activities. Dates vary for drive-through only and full experiences; the final day open will be Dec. 30. Of course, before you head out, make sure that you check the hours, reservation information, and ticket prices for these light shows—some are free and open daily, others require tickets purchased either ahead of time or on site, and several are open only during certain days and hours. Once you’ve got the details down, bundle up, grab a thermos of hot cocoa, and enjoy the bright lights of the season!
 

PHOTO CREDITS

Holiday Lighted Nights photo credit Washington County Fair
Peace Love and Lights display photo credit Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Car in light tunnel photo credit Westchester Winter Wonderland
North Pole Station photo credit Lights on the Lake
Victor Hills lights photo credit ROC Lights at Victor Hills
 

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