Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Lights Shows on Long Island

LuminoCity returns to Long Island, this year at Eisenhower Park.Photo by Jaime Sumersille

For a touch of holiday magic on Long Island, it's hard to beat the glow of a spectacular Christmas light show or holiday lights drive-thru.

We've rounded up several of our favorite holiday light shows and drive-thru Christmas lights displays on Long Island, as well as immersive, walk-through winter wonderlands you won't want to miss.

Find all our top picks for holiday fun–including Long Island's best Christmas activities–in our Long Island Christmas Guide

Best Holiday Shows in NYC for Kids

'Twas The Night Before, the holiday-themed spectacle from Cirque du Soleil returns to The Theater at Madison Square Garden this holiday season. Photo by Michael Last

'Tis the season to get the gang all dressed up to see some holiday shows in NYC! While the city is lucky to have amazing shows on Broadway for kids all year-round, during the holidays there are a range of joyous seasonal productions for families, from inexpensive, low-key offerings perfect for fidgety preschoolers, to over-the-top spectacles that are worth the investment. And you can book discounted tickets to many of them through Mommy Poppins.

From live stage adaptations of classics to amazing circus, dance, and impossible-to-describe performances, here are our top 15 holiday shows in NYC for families, and that's in addition to all those beautiful Nutcrackers playing at local theaters. You can find additional theater picks in our Guide to Children's Theater in NYC and more seasonal outings in our Holiday Fun Guide for NYC Kids.

Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus, Walk-Thrus, and Christmas Light Shows in Los Angeles

Step through dazzling light tunnels. Photo courtesy of Lightscape at the Arboretum

Holiday lights twinkle extra brightly in a city known for Hollywood, glitz, and glamour. Holiday light shows and Christmas light displays are all over Los Angeles. These festive light shows dazzle and get you in the holiday spirit. Stroll through immersive light displays, wander through Christmas lights in gardens, zoos, farms, climb aboard a holiday lights train, or enjoy a Christmas light show by the water. 

And if that's not enough holiday lights in Los Angeles for you, festive SoCal neighborhoods go all out with their annual decorating traditions to treat Angelenos to some incredible neighborhood holiday light displays. For even more holiday fun, check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events in Los Angeles.  

Thanksgiving Day Weekend 2023 in Westchester and the Hudson Valley: Best Things To Do

The Wonderland of Lights drive-thru holiday light experience returns to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck this holiday season. Photo courtesy of the event

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this Thanksgiving Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

Thanksgiving is upon us, kicking off the holiday season in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. We're anticipating several holiday events that launch this weekend, including the Holiday Bricktacular at Legoland New York. You can also enjoy small-town holiday spirit at events across the region, like Rye's Mistletoe Magic.

Looking for more holiday options? Browse our Westchester Kids Guide to Christmas and the Holidays, which is full of our top picks for holiday events.

Thanksgiving Day Weekend 2023 on Long Island: Turkey Trots, Light Shows, and Santa

Trek to The End for the Montauk Lighthouse tree lighting. Photo courtesy of the Montauk Lighthouse.jpg

Looking for the best things to do on Long Island this Thanksgiving weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Work up an appetite for your Thanksgiving feast by participating in a family-friendly turkey trot on Thursday morning. Or, get some activity in by driving through the Jones Beach Magic of Lights. Debuting this weekend is the Holiday Illuminations installation at the Smithtown Historical Society. For a throwback feel, check out how Christmas was celebrated in 1863 at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

If you're more interested in indoor activities this holiday weekend, you can view miles of tracks and trains at the West Island Model Railroad Club Open House in Hicksville. Or keep the feast going by booking reservations to grab breakfast with jolly old St. Nick himself.

Check out our picks for the Nutcracker ballet and other holiday shows, and find more seasonal fun in our Long Island Kids Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events.

Thanksgiving Day Weekend 2023 in New Jersey: Light Shows, Tree Lightings, and Santa's Arrival

This Thanksgiving weekend, take a walk through the light tunnel at Skylands Stadium. Photo courtesy of Skylands Stadium

Looking for the best things to do in New Jersey this Thanksgiving Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving has arrived, so gobble up all the fun and festivities this long weekend has to offer. Seasonal drive-thru holiday light shows kick off the weekend, including the Skylands Stadium Light Show, and Santa makes his grand arrival at tree-lighting celebrations, including the one in tree lighting in Morristown.

With the holidays just around the corner, the long weekend is the perfect time to venture into NYC to check out the holiday sights, including the enchanting Santa's Winter Wonderland. If you prefer to keep it closer to home, take a drive to see New Jersey's Best Christmas Light Displays. Find more holiday fun in our Guide to the Holidays for NJ Families.

Thanksgiving Day Weekend 2023 in NYC: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and More Things To Do

Pier 17 hosts the sparkly, photo-opp, and fun-filled Santa Clauses Winter Wonderland. Photo by Jody Mercier

Looking for the best things to do in New York City on Thanksgiving weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Thanksgiving weekend.

We're sending up a cheer of gratitude for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy's Santaland, which all serve as the gateway to the sparkly NYC holiday season. Catch a Christmas tree lighting in Park Slope, roller skate around the Oculus, or scoot out to the opening of the Brooklyn Children's Museum's ArtRink.

The classic New York City Ballet Nutcracker takes the stage at Lincoln Center. PaleyLand opens with Santa and more special guests, and Astra Lumina sets the Queens Botanical Garden aglow.

If you're looking ahead to holiday fun, have we got a deal for you: We're hosting a Gingerbread House Decorating event on Saturday, December 2, and there's a limited number of discounted early bird tickets up for grabs. Our NYC Kids' Guide to Christmas and the Holidays is positively lit with more holiday activities, including our must-do Christmas events.

Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in Orlando

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens transforms into the Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild at night! Photo courtesy of the zoo

For many Orlando families, local Christmas light shows are a treasured holiday tradition. They're a great way to get into the Christmas spirit, and Orlando has no shortage of options. From dazzling light displays at the theme parks to lighted boat parades, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to see Christmas lights here in Central Florida.

Get an exclusive look at the magic of the holidays at Give Kids the World Village via a Holiday VIP Tour; enjoy one of the many lighted parades, by land and by sea, throughout Central Florida; and awe at the Christmas lights from the comfort of your own car during Magic of Lights. Read on for the very best holiday light displays around Orlando and Central Florida. For more dazzling light shows in local neighborhoods, check out our awesome list of Christmas Light Displays in Orlando Neighborhoods.

Pages