Holiday lights are the bright spot in this bizarre year and on these days where it gets dark super early. So no matter if you want to drive around to see homes that could be on the Great Christmas Light Fight (and some that actually have!), drive through an magical winter land with millions of lights, or walk around some of the coolest displays, New Jersey has all the holiday lights you could ever want. And then some! We’ve rounded up all the displays in NJ and nearby that you can visit this year to bring a little bit of that holiday magic to the whole family.
North Jersey
Christmas Light Show & Village at Skylands
94 Championship Pl., Augusta
Nov. 20 – Jan. 3, select dates
The Sussex County Miners baseball stadium gets transformed for the holiday with more than two million lights in their drive-thru show. Afterwards you can walk through their village, ice skate and make s’mores.
Orchard of Lights at Demarest Farms
244 Wierimus Rd., Hillsdale
Nov. 24 – Dec. 29
Take a ride through shimmering lights at Demarest Farms. Their Orchard of Lights Drive-Thru traverses their 32 acre plot of land. Make sure to reserve tickets now, because some dates are already sold out.
Mission Holiday Lights
265 Mission Rd., Hackettstown
6 pm – 10 pm
Mission Holiday Lights works each year to collect donations for the children at Saint Peter’s Orphanage in Denville. Soon they’ll be taking down their display for Veteran’s Day and putting up festive Christmas lights.
DaSilva Christmas Light Display
6 Viking Ct., Randolph
5:30 pm – 10 pm
Each year this family partners up with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. They boast over 100,000 lights and support an incredible cause.
Martorana Christmas House
396 Fairfield Rd., Wayne
8 am – 12 am
This Christmas show does not just flash their lights, they’ve got giant inflatables too. They’re right in the middle of setting up all of their holiday fun, and they document the process on their Facebook page. Make sure to stop by early to check out the inflatables. The light show itself starts at 4 pm.
Central Jersey
Six Flags Holiday in the Park
1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson
Nov. 14- Jan. 3
The mega amusement park has transformed itself into a massive winter wonderland. On weeknights, you can drive through the car and see the lights, on the weekends, enjoy all of the holiday in the park festivities with foods, fire pits, hot cocoa and cool light shows.
The Winter Wonderlights Spectacular
655 Cranbury Rd., East Brunswick
Nov. 27 – Jan. 3, 5:30 pm – 10 pm
$27/general admission
The Winter Wonderlights Spectacular is, well, spectacular. Though their trail is only half a mile long, they’ve crammed in 1.5 million lights. They’re open seven days a week, so there’s no excuse not to stop by.
Fanwood Famous Christmas House
83 Paterson Rd., Fanwood
This gorgeous Christmas House glows from miles away. They collect charitable donations for the NJ Institute for Disabilities. Make sure to stop by on December 5th to take pictures with Santa Claus.
Magic of Lights
PNC Bank Arts Center (116 Garden State Parkway), Holmdel
Nov. 13 – Jan. 4, Dusk – 10 pm (Sun – Thurs), 11 pm (Fri & Sat)
$25/standard vehicle, $50/limo, $100/bus, tickets are subject to increase if purchased at the gate
PNC is hosting one of 10 Magic of Lights shows across the United States. The drive-thru is 2.5 miles long and full of classic holiday scenes. You can also check out the Mega Tree Spectacular to see the tallest and brightest trees in NJ.
Christmas at the Nietzers
201 Hamilton Blvd., South Plainfield
5 pm – 9:30 pm
This light show is not only merry and bright, the folks at Nietzers show you how they put it all together. Follow their Facebook page to see just how much it takes to put up a giant light show like this one.
Sisti Family Christmas Lights
322 Pitney Ave., Spring Lake
This family turns their front yard into a winter wonderland year after year. There’s not a single inch of their home that isn’t covered with holiday lights. Make sure to stop by to see what scenes they have up this year.
Gress House Holiday Light Spectacular
14 Johnson Ave, Union Beach
The Gress House is involved with the Decorations for Donations campaign, and each year they collect for the Children’s Miracle Network. Not only is this house known for their lights, but their festive blow molds bring their scenes to life.
Ferone Family Christmas Light Spectacular
184 Yellowbank Rd., Toms River
5 pm – 9:30 pm (Mon. – Thurs.), 11 pm (Fri. & Sat.)
This Christmas light show is shooting for the stars with a goal of donating $5,000 this year to the Children’s Hospital of Toms River. Tuesday nights will be Disney nights when you can listen to your favorite Disney songs. All other nights they’ll play classic holiday music on 88.1 FM.
South Jersey
Historic Smithville & Village Green
Open from Thanksgiving until January 1
This quaint South Jersey shopping town gets all decked out for the holidays with a talking Christmas tree and “dancing” trees on Lake Meone.
Night of Lights at Creamy Acres
448 Lincoln Mill Rd., Mullica Hill
Hayrides aren’t just for Halloween anymore! The folks at Creamy Acres are going all out with their holiday light display this year. Bundle up and take a hayride through their display while you sing along to all of the Christmas classics.
DiDonato’s Magical Holiday Express
1151 S. White Horse Pike, Hammonton
Nov. 20 – Dec. 29, select dates, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
$13.95/person, check website for post-Christmas discounts
You’ll have to get out of your car to hop in one of their socially distanced train rides, but then they’ll drive you through the light show themselves. Hop aboard their Magical Holiday Express train and gaze at the millions of lights around you.
South Jersey Holiday Light Show
Bridgeport Speedway (83 Flood Gate Rd.), Swedesboro
Nov. 19 – Dec. 30, select dates, Opens 5 pm daily, closes at 9 pm, 10 pm, or 11 pm depending on date
$23/car
As the only holiday light show in South Jersey, this light show is big, bold, and bright. This show boasts some of the tallest displays and most vibrant lights in NJ. You can even dial in your radio to listen to the tailored holiday playlist as you cruise through the show.
Light Show Hayride at Johnson’s Corner Farm
133 Church Rd., Medford
Nov. 27 – Dec. 23, 5 pm – 8 pm (Mon. – Thurs.), 9 pm (Fri. – Sun.)
$6.95/person on weekdays, $7.95/person on weekends
It’s not your typical drive-thru, but we still think that hayrides count. Take a leisurely ride through the farm. Even the barn and the tractors will be decorated. The ride is set to a jolly Christmas playlist to keep your holiday spirits high.
Diggerland Holidig Light Show
100 Pinedge Dr., West Berlin
Nov. 18 – Jan. 3, Wednesdays – Sundays, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
$29.95/vehicle
Diggerland USA is decked out in Christmas lights this year. For their first ever holiday light show, you can explore this one-mile drive-thru with your family. Construction vehicles will be lit up and animated holiday scenes will shine bright. Visit on weekends for Winterfest fun, with Santa pics, parades and more.
Holiday Lights Trolley Ride in Cape May
526 Washington St., Cape May
Nov. 27 – Dec. 31, select dates, 6:15 pm – 8:15 pm
$15/adult, $10/child aged 3-12, free/child under 3
Again, you’ll have to hop our of your vehicle to hop in one of Cape May’s festive trolleys. As you listen to holiday tunes, you’ll glide past the historical Victorian houses of South Jersey. This ride will blast you into the past. It’s an open air trolley, so don’t forget to bring a blanket. Cape May has more holiday fun than just lights, including breakfast with Santa and train rides.
Burlington Lights
Corner of Steeplechase Blvd. and Tack Way, Burlington Twp
5 pm – 10 pm
This holiday light show works with the local Burlington Township Food Pantry to donate to those in need during the holiday season. When you stop by, make sure to bring canned goods to donate. The show itself has over 30,000 lights and individual playlists for each day of the week, so you can have a new experience each time you visit.
Lights on Poplar
15 Poplar Ave, Egg Harbor Twp
5 pm – 10:30 pm
This dazzling holiday light display works with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots initiative to make sure that every child gets a gift this year. This house is lit up for the majority of the year. They have an Easter show, a Halloween show, and now a show for Christmas.
New York
LuminoCity Festival
20 Randall’s Island Park, New York, NY
Nov. 27 – Jan. 10, select dates, 4 pm – 10 pm
$29/general admission, $17/children ages 3-12, $25/students and seniors, $55/general admission & Lumi Night Light & express entry & 15% off gift shop
A spectacular light show which debuted for the first time last year on Randall’s Island, LuminoCity will feature several acres of new light art installations and sculptures inspired by nature, history and magic.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Rockefeller Center
Dec. 3 – early January
The 88th tree is lit and on display, but there are some new rules if you want to visit. It is open to visitors from 6 am to 12 am daily, and during busy times, you’ll have to join a virtual queue in order to see it instead of just walking up like in years past. There are QR codes around Rockefeller Center and when you use them, you’ll be given a time to return for your viewing. There are set tree viewing entrances, social distancing spots and five minute time limits to tag that perfect photo. Masks are required at all times.
Harlem Holiday Lights
125th St., Manhattan
Nov. 16 – Dec. 31
Each holiday season, Harlem’s 125th Street is illuminated with more than 10,000 festive LED lights across nine blocks, from Broadway to Fifth Avenue. The annual Turn On the Lights event will be live streamed this year, enabling all to watch the iconic thoroughfare light up with festive light and window displays, as well as a caravan of decorated floats traveling around Harlem to safely greet participating buildings and businesses.
Shine Bright at Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards, Manhattan
Nov. 22 – Dec. 31
NYC’s newest neighborhood will introduce new holiday decor, Shine Bright at Hudson Yards, that will illuminate the Public Square and Gardens, The Shops at Hudson Yards, Vessel and Edge with white lights set against evergreen trees and one-of-a-kind set pieces. By downloading this app, guests will be transported through augmented reality to the North Pole and Santa’s Workshop where they will be able to walk through mounds of snow, along candy cane lanes, pose for pictures alongside animated polar bears, elves, penguins, and Rudolph, and video chat with Santa Claus.
Holiday Lights at Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Blvd., The Bronx
Nov. 20 – Jan. 10, 2021
During this festive celebration, visitors can enjoy five animal lantern safaris, as well as holiday-themed music, ice-carving demonstrations, costumed characters, stilt walkers, souvenirs, and seasonal treats like hot chocolate and s’mores.
Luminaries at Brookfield Place
230 Vesey St., Manhattan
Nov. 27 – Jan. 8, 2021
Lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place will feature a canopy of colorful lights emanating from hundreds of lanterns suspended among the shopping center’s palm trees. Touchless, motion-activated stations allow visitors to make a wish and prompt a magical display of lights and colors.
GLOW at New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd., The Bronx
Nov. 27 & 28, Dec. 5, 12, 18, 19, 26 – 30, Jan. 1, 2, 9
The New York Botanical Garden will present a gorgeous outdoor light show, illuminating its landmark gardens and the Haupt Conservatory on 14 select nights. As part of the experience, visitors will also be able to enjoy artistic ice sculptures, music, roving dancers and more outdoor fun.
Holiday Lights at Arthur Avenue
Arthur Ave., The Bronx
Beginning Nov. 30
Come walk the Bronx’s “Little Italy” and take in the bright lights strung along Arthur Avenue, as well as the area’s holiday windows. A neighborhood Christmas tree at Ciccarone Park will be festively lit, beginning November 30.
Lighting of the Largest Menorah in Brooklyn
Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
Dec. 10 – 17
The annual lighting of Brooklyn’s largest Menorah at Grand Army Plaza will take place each night of Chanukah, kicking off with a socially distanced celebration on December 10.
Pennsylvania
Furry & Bright Christmas Drive-Thru at Sesame Place
100 Sesame Rd., Langhorne, PA
Nov. 10 – Dec. 23, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 5 pm – 8 pm
$45/car, $65/mini bus, $35/snack pack add-on, $75/souvenir pack add-on
The Furry & Bright Christmas Drive-Thru at Sesame Place is sure to kick-start your holiday fun. The entire park will be decked out in dazzling lights and bright colors. Check out Candy Cane Lane, the light tunnel, and the Christmas Parade. All of your favorite furry friends will be dressed up for the occasion too.
Shadybrook Farm Holiday Light Show
931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley, PA
Nov. 21 – Jan. 10
Grab timed tickets to see more than 3 million lights on display across this farm. You can ride in your own car, or opt for an open-air wagon ride. After, snag holiday treats and make s’mores at the campfire.
A Longwood Christmas
1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, PA
Nov. 20 – Jan. 10
This magical Christmas spot is a favorite, with a beautiful greenhouse filled with gorgeous holiday flowers and shining tunnel of lights, and don’t miss the amazing miniature trains of the Garden railway that travel around the greenhouse. Tickets for many dates are sold out, so grab yours fast.