It doesn’t feel like the holidays until the lights are on outside. We expect our list of homes decorated will have more addresses than ever! This year we will also be adding driving routes. These city and community light shows and tree lightings start in November and run through December. Drive through, walking trails, horse drawn wagon rides, Christmas villages and more, make sure to add one of these holiday light festivals to your family tradition!
Christmas at the Pond, Kimberly
Sunday, December 3, 2023: 5 – 7 pm
The Village of Kimberly hosts an annual holiday kickoff event at Memorial Park in Kimberly. Each year, the display gets a little bit bigger with thousands of Christmas lights and activities, including vendors, Santa, music, cheer, and a lot of holiday spirit.
This FREE family event takes place at Memorial Park on the 1/4 mile paved trail loop. Parking is available on the street, the public parking lot on Kimberly Avenue, and to the north on Red and White Cedar Parkways. Note there is no bathroom on site.
Fox Cities Festival of Lights, Appleton
November 24-26, December 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 22-25, 29-31, 2023: 5-9 pm
The Fox Cities Festival of Lights is a fantastic Christmas light display at Darboy Community Park in the village of Harrison. The FREE family-friendly event is a half-mile walk through wooded trail with holiday lights and displays featuring traditional holiday characters and iconic Fox Cities landmarks. Santa visits every night except December 24 and 25. Hot chocolate and other beverages for sale on most nights. Parking is available on the east side of the park off of Skippers Lane, Midway Road, and Noe Road.
- Darboy Community Park, Noe Rd, Appleton, WI
Pictures with Santa (formerly Jingle Bell Boulevard), Grand Chute
December 14, 2023: 5 – 8 pm
Take a drive through Town Center to park to view holiday displays and decorated vehicles. Santa will be inside of Town Center Park available for pictures with all throughout the evening. The event is free, but non-perishable food items or new, unwrapped toys for the local food pantry and Toys for Tots are requested.
- Town Center Park, 1850 W. Grand Chute Boulevard, Grand Chute
Oshkosh Celebration of Lights, Oshkosh
November 24 – December 31, 2023: 5:30 – 9 pm
Oshkosh Celebration of Lights has a NEW temporary location for 2023 at the EAA grounds in Oshkosh (usually at Menominee Park).
Highlights include a 100-foot tree, sculptured scenes, and animated light displays. This holiday light show is a yearly event and a great event to spot Santa. General Admission per carload is $20.00 with $5.00 off with donation of a sealed hygiene item (shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc.) or non-perishable in-date food items appreciated. Visit their website for FREE community nights each year.
- EAA Grounds, Oshkosh
Voyageur Park Holiday Light Display, De Pere
December 8-9, 15-16, 22-24, 2023: 5-9 pm
The De Pere Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department will be hosting the 3rd annual holiday lights display at Voyager Park in De Pere. The drive-through display is FREE and features over 25 decorated and community-sponsored trees and other holiday displays.
- Voyageur Park, 100 William St, De Pere, WI
Holiday Season Kickoff, Downtown Green Bay
November 15, 2023: 5:30 pm
Kickoff the season on November 15, 2023, at 5:30 pm with the lighting of the NEW CityDeck holiday lights and the Peace Tree. Enjoy holiday music, shop small business specials, and sip cocoa while we kick off the holiday season in the heart of the city!
- Downtown Green Bay, 130 E. Walnut St., Green Bay, WI
Winter Jubilee: Light Show, Green Bay
November, 24-25, 2023
Friday and Saturdays in December
Daily December 19-27, 2023: 6 – 9 pm
Titletown’s Winter Jubilee: Light Show will occur every Friday and Saturday through December. The show will be projected onto the west side of Lambeau Field, off Ridge Road, featuring a blend of holiday-themed lights, music, and special effects, including animation, lasers, and fireworks. The first Winter Jubilee Light Show will begin at 6 pm on Friday, November 24, 2023. Each show lasts 7 minutes and runs every 30 minutes until 9 pm.
- Titletown Plaza, 1065 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay, WI
- Full list of show dates and times, as well as parking information
- There are so many other fun things to do while visiting Titletown!
WPS Garden of Lights, Green Bay
Opening night is Friday, November 24, 2023 and runs through December 30, 2023
The Green Bay Botanical Garden transforms its gardens every holiday season into the WPS Garden of Lights, a magical winter wonderland experience with 37 botanically-themed light displays featuring over 325,000 twinkling lights. Visitors are invited to walk (about 30 – 45 minutes) or ride a horse-drawn wagon ride (about 10-15 minutes) through the lighted half-mile tour.
Dated and timed entry tickets are sold in advance online for this walkthrough light show.
Value Nights are typically Thursdays, Sundays, and days after Christmas. Peak Nights are typically Fridays and Saturdays and dates before Christmas. Tickets start at $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 3 – 12.
- Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Road, Green Bay, Wisconsin
North Pole, Chilton
November 16, 2023 – December 23, 2023: 4 – 8 pm
The North Pole in Chilton is arguably Wisconsin’s largest indoor and outdoor FREE display! Explore more than twenty unique displays that are homes to Santa’s helpers. Mechanical characters tell magical little stories in this quaint Christmas village. While visiting the school, church, radio station, and watching the penguins ice skate, your family is transported to The North Pole without leaving the Fox Valley.
There is also a station for dropping off letters and cards for our men and women in the armed services that will not be home for Christmas. Letters will be hand-delivered to the VFW, and they will send them out to members.
The North Pole property is over 6 acres and includes a large parking lot for ample parking and buses, indoor and outdoor displays, and room for expansion. The indoor area also includes a snack area, gift shop, and Santa visits.
Delightfully Calumet, Chilton
Starts Friday, December 1, 2023: Every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday in December: 5 – 9 pm
Delightfully Calumet, Inc. Holiday drive-through Light Show will again be at the Calumet County Fairgrounds. It features thirteen 150-foot displays boasting over 130,000 lights synchronized to Christmas music. Attendees will be asked to tune their car radio into a specified station. The mission is to offer a quality, fun-filled family event while stocking the shelves for our local food pantries. Admission is a can of food or as many as you would like.
- Calumet County Fairgrounds, 900 Francis St, Chilton, WI
Lakeside Light Show, Fond du Lac
November 23, 2023 – January 1, 2024: 5 – 11 pm
Enjoy an approximately 20-minute show with dancing trees at the Lakeside Light Show! Tune your car radio to 87.9 FM to listen to the synchronized music. This year’s light show is in the park on the hill by the water treatment plant. When entering the park from Main street, take a left after passing the children’s play area. The best spot for viewing is in the parking lot across the street, but be careful it does get busy. Admission cost is FREE but donations are accepted. Don’t forget to see who is on top of the lighthouse!
- Lakeside Park, 555 N Park Ave, Fond du Lac, WI
Rotary Winter Wonderland, Marshfield
November 24 – December 31, 2023: 5 – 9 pm
The Rotary Winter Wonderland is a holiday lights display at Wildwood Zoo, Marshfield with over 1,000,000 L.E.D. lights! They also host many fun activities like Santa visits, horse-drawn carriage rides, and more. Walkthrough or drive through. Admission is FREE but donations are accepted for the local food pantry.
- Wildwood Zoo, 608 W 17th St, Marshfield, WI
Making Spirits Bright, Sheboygan
Holiday Light Show: November 24 – December 31, 2023: 5 – 9 pm (closed December 24)
Making Spirits Bright in Sheboygan is a drive-through holiday display by the Sheboygan County Rotary Clubs. Thousands of lights synchronized to music, tune your radio to 89.1 FM while driving through. Trolley rides are available from the Quarryview Center on Friday and Saturday nights through December 23, 2023, for $2/person. Admission is FREE, but donations are accepted for the local food pantry.
- Evergreen Park, 3000 Calumet Dr, Sheboygan, WI
Lights in Lincoln Park, Manitowoc
November 24 – December 28, 2023
Lights in Lincoln Park is an annual drive-through light show featuring 70+ fun lighted animal displays including an animated elephant, wolf, polar bear, and more! Visit with Santa and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate in the cabin on select Friday nights. Admission is $5 a carload, and funds are used for exhibit improvements. Enjoy walking through the display on 2 nights only, Tuesday, November 21, and Friday, December 29, 2023, from 5 – 8 pm for $5 for adults or $10 a family.
- Lights in Lincoln Park, 1215 N 8th St, Manitowoc, WI
Christmas at the Zoo, West Bend
November 18 – December 31, 2023: 10 am – 5 pm (The last car admitted at 4 pm)
Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day
Drive through the zoo in the warmth of your car and enjoy lights, holiday displays, decorations, and animals at Shalome Wildlife and Zoo’s annual holiday light show, Christmas at the Zoo! Kids will receive a treat from Santa Claus. Plan for about an hour to drive through. Families can also purchase animal feed and enjoy a campfire after. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children.
- Shalom Wildlife Zoo, 1901 Shalom Drive, West Bend, WI
Enchantment in the Park, West Bend
November 24 – December 24, 2023
Enchantment in the Park is a drive-through display that is also open for walking (a shorter route that will not have access to the whole display). Horse and carriage rides are available first come, first serve. The carriage holds up to 15 people and costs $5 a person for anyone 16 and older. Children 15 and younger are free. Purchase hot cocoa, popcorn, candy, and other treats to help support Casa Guadalupe Education Center. Warm up by the fire and roast marshmallows on Friday and Saturday nights. You can also find Santa on select nights.
Suggested donation is $10. Consider also donating a nonperishable food donation.
- Regner Park, 800 N. Main Street, West Bend
Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights, Caledonia
November 18, 2023 – Sunday, January 1, 2024 (closed November 24-25 and December 25)
The Christmas Carnival of Lights is rumored as the Midwest’s biggest, brightest, and most dazzling drive-through holiday light show, with over 2 million lights. The route drives through Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park campground, about 20 minutes south of Milwaukee. Experience the show in the comfort of your car, on Santa’s giant sleigh, or a golf cart holiday train. Enjoy animated lights, colorfully decorated lights, and one-of-a-kind hand-crafted displays. General admission for up to 8 people for one carload is $30 a vehicle. Santa visits are free on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Food is also available to purchase, including pizzas, cookies, hot chocolate, and s’more kits. Warm up around the outdoor fire pits.
- Jellystone Park™, 8425 HWY 38 Caledonia, WI
Country Christmas, Waukesha
Walking Nights: November 17 – 19, 2023: 5 – 9 pm
Drive Through Nights: November 24 – 29, 2023 and December 1, 2023 – January 1, 2024
Sunday – Thursday: 5 – 9 pm
Friday, Saturday & Holidays: 5 – 10 pm
Country Christmas at the Ingleside Hotel is a fantastic display and boasts the largest drive-through light display in Wisconsin It includes a mile-long route to see over a million lights and holiday scents, including Bearville with giant teddy bears, 200-foot tunnel, life-sized nativity, a model train display, photo opportunities, and concessions stand. Special walk-through nights and wagon rides are also available. Admission is $25 a carload Sunday through Thursday and $30 a carload on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and available online.
- The Ingleside Hotel, 2810 Golf Rd, Pewaukee, WI
Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park, Madison
November 11, 2023 – December 31, 2023, dusk to dawn
Hosted by The Electrical Group Holiday Fantasy in Lights light show is the greenest show in Wisconsin! Drive through the park for FREE and enjoy 60 lighted displays including Bucky the Badger.
- Olin Park, 1156 Olin Court, Madison, WI
Editor’s Note: Santa’s Rock N Lights at the Brown County Fairgrounds will not return in 2023.
