There's no question that the 2020 holiday season could use a little extra cheer, and holiday lights could be just the ticket. Even though we won't have all of our usual Christmas lights, with popular displays like Descanso Gardens and the Queen Mary taking a COVID hiatus, several creative folks out there are treating us to some new and intriguing light displays that we can enjoy safely from our cars. Local fairgrounds, race tracks, and even mall parking lots are converting to festive drive-thrus to give families something to smile about this Christmas.

Of course, we're still hoping that many of our festive SoCal neighbors will keep up their annual decorating traditions and treat us to some of the wonderful neighborhood holiday light displays we count on, but understandably some of these folks are wary of attracting the usual Christmastime crowds. The destinations below offer a range of experiences from elves on shelves to Santa's Speedway, all responsibly socially distanced. Choose one or two outings from these SoCal light displays to get the holidays jump-started from inside your car!