Spectacular Neighborhood Holiday Lights and Christmas Lights in the Lower Hudson Valley

Peace, Love & Lights at the Bethel Woods Center features lots of groovy displays.

Christmas light displays are shining brightly in the area, and we’ve found some great ones for you to check out in the Lower Hudson Valley. The displays range from individually decorated houses—including one with more than half a million lights—to a drive-thru Christmas wonderland.

We've got plenty more holiday light displays for you to consider in our guide to decked-out houses in Westchester and our roundup of the brightest drive-thru installations in the tri-state area.

For more holiday fun, be sure to check our Holiday Fun Guide and Event Calendar.

Charlie Brown and his crew are part of the world-record ERDAJT holiday lights display
The ERDAJT display has been cited by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Holiday Light Displays in Dutchess County for 2022

ERDAJT Holiday Light Display — LaGrangeville

8 Patrick Drive
Nightly through Wednesday, December 28
You know you’ve got a good light display when the Guinness Book of World Records takes notice: In years past, this display, which has about 700,000 lights, has set a record for most lights. You’ll find snowmen, hearts, presents, Christmas trees, the Peanuts gang, and much more, with the show, now in its 27th year, kicking off at 4:45pm every day. If you want to hear a specific tune—ranging from traditional songs to modern favorites—check out the show schedule, which includes a song list and details on when it will play. Also great? On specific days, they'll be collecting for various charities, such as the Children's Home of Poughkeepsie.

Holiday Spirit Festival — Wappingers Falls

38 Sheafe Road
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Friday, December 23
Head to the Enchanted Forest of Lights at this annual holiday extravaganza, where you can walk through the display and see what 1 million lights look like up close. Explore themed areas such as Christmas Canyon, Gingerbread Village, Santa's Workshop, and more. Enjoy a train ride or embark on a misfit-toy scavenger hunt, too. Just note: You have to buy tickets to this one online before heading over—they're $19.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids.

Holiday Light Displays in Orange County for 2022

Bruschi Christmas — Walkill

5 Madre Decristo Road
Nightly through Sunday, January 1
The Bruschi family has been syncing its dazzling Christmas display to music since 2012, and it's continuing the tradition this year. Tune in to 87.9 FM to hear and watch the show—which runs about 30 minutes—and enjoy the brightly lit candy canes, Christmas trees, and the rest of the twinkling lights that make up the display. Lights are on from 5 to 11pm.

Watt Christmas Wonderland — Goshen

310 Scotchtown Road
Nightly through Friday, December 30
What began as a light display at owner John Watt's mother’s house has grown into a stand-alone, drive-thru Christmas village. See Santa, snowmen, and lots more holiday characters as you drive through this stunning display, which boasts close to a mile of lights that you can visit from 6 to 9pm (weather permitting). There’s a recommended donation of $5 per car, and vehicles can’t be taller than 8 feet. Pro tip: Consider making your trip on a weeknight when it’s considerably less busy.

See nature-themed holiday lights at Holiday Lights in Bloom
Holiday Lights in Bloom in Montgomery features a dazzling celebration of nature.

Holiday Lights in Bloom — Montgomery

41 Grove Street
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Friday, December 23
The Lights in Bloom show at the Orange County Arboretum in Thomas Bull Park is a must-see for bug lovers. Along with decked-out trees, the show dazzles with brightly lit snails, bugs, birds, flowers, and lots more of your favorites from nature. The show is FREE!

More Hudson Valley Holiday Light Displays

Peace, Love & Lights — Bethel

200 Hurd Road
Every Thursday-Sunday until Thursday, December 15, and then nightly through Sunday, January 1, 2023
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts hosts this drive-thru light display, now in its third year, which pays homage to the site's roots as the home of Woodstock. Enjoy themed areas like Groovy Way, an Enchanted Forest, Snowflake Alley, and Holidays Around the World. You can also check out The Holiday Hub for eats and drinks—and a walk-through option on Mondays.

a frosty fest holiday lights
At a Frosty Fest you’ll find magical lights, elves at work, and Santa himself.

Frosty Fest — Ulster Park

778 Broadway
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Friday, December 23 (Bonus Show: Thursday, December 22)
There are lights of all sorts at this holiday festival, along with attractions and countless characters who are ready to pose for pictures. Meet Bubbles the Christmas bear, gawk at the larger-than-life Forest Snowman, and have a chat with Dasher, the talking reindeer.

This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated in December 2022.

All photos are courtesy of the houses/organizers.