The holiday season is here!
And during the holiday season, we LOVE holiday light displays and family events!
Here are events that I’ve found throughout Minnesota, as well as DISCOUNTS for:
- Glow Holiday Festival in St. Paul
- Ice Castles in Maple Grove
- Magic of Lights in Eagan (drive-thru)
- Miracle at Big Rock in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin (just 1 hour northeast of the Twin Cities)
Thank you to Presentation of Mary Catholic School in Maplewood for sponsoring this guide!
There’s a place for you at Presentation! Located in Maplewood on the border of East Saint Paul, Presentation of Mary Catholic School serves infants – eighth grade. We prepare our students academically and spiritually to be faith-filled and forward-thinking citizens. We partner with families to fulfill this mission by inviting all God’s children into our community. Our school is a place where students can flourish, grow, and develop according to their God-given dignity through rigorous curriculum and opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge as Christ would with wisdom, compassion, and grace. Our community is a warm and welcoming place that becomes like a second home to families and where life-long friendships are made.
We invite all to join us at our All-School Open House on Sunday, January 28th, 2024 from 9:30am – 12:30pm to learn about all we have to offer families. The day begins at 9:30am with Mass followed by a pancake breakfast, Scholastic Book Fair, and Open House where families can meet our amazing staff and kids can complete fun activities! RSVP for the Open House here!
FREE PRINTABLES!
This list has been so popular every year that I created several FREE Christmas printables for you to enjoy while looking at lights!
The first is a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt! Print this FREE Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt and bring it with you and have the kids do it or do it as a family.
Here’s a FREE printable 6-page Christmas Road Trip Activity Set that includes another scavenger hunt and other activities for kids to do while you’re driving around looking at Christmas lights!
PLUS my FREE Christmas Sanity Saver Pack!
(Note: Be sure to check each event before you go in case there are any changes or cancellations.)
FREE EVENTS
Celebrate the Light of the World – Willmar (FREE – donations requested)
November 23 – December 31
5:00pm – 10:00pm each night
Willmar is about 1 hour west of the Twin Cities, on highway 12.
Celebrate the Light of the World kicks off Thursday, November 23rd!! The show will run every night from 5:00pm – 10:00pm from November 23rd through December 31st.
Havana Lights Drive-Thru Display – Owatonna (Free – donations requested)
November 23 – after New Years
2048 Havana Road
Owatonna, MN 55060
We are open every day from dusk – 10:00 p.m.
There is a free will donation of money, or cat/dog food, kitty litter. Place in the containers provided.
Holiday Lights on York Avenue – St. Paul (FREE- donations requested for Merrick Food Shelf)
November 24 – December 31
5:00pm – 10:00pm each night
This is a big light display on a residential block that you can drive through in St. Paul. Their lights start on Friday, November 24th!
Check their website for updates.
Kiwanis Holiday Lights – Mankato (Free, but cash and nonperishable donations requested for those in need)
Sibley Park
November 24th – December 31, 2023
Sunday–Thursday 5:00–9:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 5:00–10:00 PM
Free and open to the public!
This is BOTH a walk-through and a drive-through event. You can just drive through it if you wish.
Lights in the Pines
Itasca County Fairgrounds
1336 Fairgrounds Rd, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
November 24 – December 30
Starting November 24th, The Lights in the Pines, northern Minnesota’s largest drive-through light extravaganza will be open for your viewing pleasure. The west gate of the Itasca County Fairgrounds, located at 1336 Fairgrounds Road, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is where you will start your lights and sound experience. There will be an opportunity at the end of the light displays, to park and enter Santaland, where you will be able to visit and take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus. There will be hot chocolate, coffee, popcorn, and cookies to purchase. The Lights in the Pines has partnered with Itasca Life Options to exhibit and sell their crafts and artwork in Santaland. There will also be Lights in the Pines merchandise available to purchase.
This is a drive-through light experience. Cost is $10.00 for personal vehicles and $25.00 for small buses. No school buses or recreational vehicles.
Light Up Princeton – Princeton (Free)
November 26 – January 1
See the map on their website with all the decorated addresses.
Drive around looking at decorated businesses and houses!
November 26th KICK OFF event: Santa to visit at the Great Northern Depot from 2-5pm , Mini Dazzle starting at 5:30pm down 1st street, lighting ceremony to take place in Riverside Park at 6pm.
Light Up the Night – Marshall (Free – donations requested)
Independence Park
1300 E Lyon St.
Marshall, MN 56258
November 24th – December 17th
5:00 – 9:00pm
Light Up the Night is at Independence Park in Marshall, starts November 24th and is every Friday, Saturday & Sunday through December. Walking, hay rides, trolley rides or carriage rides through the winter wonderland of lights. The holiday carolers, concessions, Santa, Elves, skating, sledding.
This is a walk-through AND drive-thru event.
Drive thru option available only on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 5:00pm-7:00pm (weather permitting).
Donations requested for Prairie Home Hospice.
Sleepy Eye Holiday Lights in Motion Drive-Thru – Sleepy Eye (Free – donations accepted)
Sportsmans Park
Thanksgiving through New Year’s
5:00pm – 10:00pm
Sleepy Eye is about 2 hours southwest of the Twin Cities.
TUNE YOUR FM RADIO DIAL TO 89.1 prior to entering the park to enhance your drive thru experience.
Nightly from 5:00 – 10:00pm.
Check their website for any updates.
Valley Lights Drive-Thru Display – Lake Elmo (FREE)
Rockpoint Church
November 24 – December 31
5:00-10pm
The drive-thru takes about 4 minutes.
Come out and enjoy this spectacular Christmas display! Enjoy 100,000+ LED lights while you hear and experience the Christmas story. Valley Lights is open to all and is an awesome opportunity for you to invite your family, friends, and neighbors. Who doesn’t love a great light show during Christmas time?
AT-COST EVENTS
Bentleyville Tour of Lights – Duluth
November 18 – December 26, 2023
Sun – Thurs 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri to Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm
We’ve loved visiting Duluth and walking through Bentleyville throughout the years.
Here we are visiting a previous year:
Admission is FREE! However, parking is $10 per vehicle.
Christmas in the Village – Farmington
Dakota City Heritage Village
December 2, 3, 9, and 10, from 3-8 pm
If you like an old-fashioned Christmas, this is the event not to miss! It’s the first 2 weekends in December.
Experience the spirit of this warm, holiday event through the village’s dazzling lights, Christmas music in the Church, the scent of wood burning stoves and the sound of horses and their jingle bells as they pull trolleys through the village. Warm up with a cup of soup or mug of hot cocoa in the Drug Store. Check out demonstrations of early 1900s wintertime chores in the Millinery and Harris House. There will also be old-fashioned candy and goods will be for sale at the Gift Shop and General Store. After you send your letter to Santa at the Post Office, you can visit him at the Depot! New this year is a model railroad display with holiday themed trains running around a festive winter scene in the village library and also in the Depot! Also new this year is a hot beverage and snack station located at the firebarn. Warm up inside with hot chocolate, cider, cookies or popcorn, Warm up outside near the new fire pits near the fire barn.
Cost is $5.50 per person (children under age 5 are Free). Tickets will be available at the gate. Online Admission Ticket includes a convenience fee.
GLOW Holiday Festival Light Experience – St. Paul
CHS Field
Nov. 16, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Entry times are hourly between 5:00pm and 8:00pm each night
GLOW features over a million lights, sElfie Plaza, Enchanted Forest, Bright Bikes, Tremendous Tree, the GLOW Spectacular, and so much more.
For its first 2 years it was at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, but last year and this year it’s at CHS Field.
Read our review from 2020. And check out my video and pictures from 2021.
Tickets are:
Adults $20.75 + fees and tax
Kids $12.75 + fees and tax
Kids 4 and under (Free)
Note that fees are $3.00 per ticket, plus they add tax.
GET DISCOUNTED TICKETS!
Groupon is offering $3.00 off PLUS you don’t have to pay the fees!
On Groupon, you can get adult tickets for $20.75 and kids 4 -12 are $11.75. No costs added!
GET DISCOUNTED TICKETS ON GROUPON HERE!!
Larger Than Life Lights – Duluth
Lake Superior Zoo
Select dates in November and December
5:00 – 7:30pm
This is an annual event!
What to expect:
- Expanded Light Display
- Three NEW GIANT inflatables from the MN Zoo’s Nature Illuminated collection!
- Free S’mores!!
- Visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus EVERY Saturday
- Grinch Appearances (select dates)
- Safari Cafe will have Hot Chocolate & Treats!
- Fun Light Up items in the Tiger’s Paw Gift Shop
- Live Holiday Music (dates to be announced)
Tickets are $7 per person.
Magic of Lights – Eagan
Viking Lakes
668 O’Neill Drive Eagan, MN]
Magic of Lights is “a unique and dazzling drive-through holiday lights experience, is bigger and brighter than ever with more than a mile of spectacular light displays that bring to life your favorite holiday scenes and characters. Don’t miss the larger-than-life sparkling Holiday Barbie™ display, the supersized Bigfoot® Monster Truck, and life-sized dinosaurs of Prehistoric Christmas! Pile everyone into the car and experience more at the same low price! One carload, one price for the entire family.”
Tickets are valid for your car (everyone inside, up to 3 rows), not per person, and are good through December 31st.
Magic of Lights is open 7 days a week:
Monday to Thursday: 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Friday – Sunday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Regular-priced tickets are $31.81 for a car up to 3 rows.
But you can save 15% right now on Groupon.
Get a ticket for your car for $27!
Sertoma Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru – Baxter
Northland Arboretum
November 23 – December 31
Most nights, 5:30 – 8:00pm
The Brainerd Area Sertoma Club presents this annual winter wonderland drive-thru experience!
November 23-25, 30
December 1-2, 7-9, 14-19, 21-23, 24-31
General admission is $20 per vehicle. $15 per vehicle in advance, plus $1 fee.
Discounted advance tickets are available online and at Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter.
Sever’s Holiday Lights Drive-Thru – Shakopee, MN
November 2023 – January 2024 (dates to be announced)
Sun – Thurs 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri to Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Looking for a holiday tradition the whole family will love? Our massive 2,500,000+ holiday light display dances in time to the best songs of the season, and with festive food & drink vendors, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be merry. So go ahead, pile into the car—this is one show everyone will want to see.
We went and here’s a review of our visit from a previous year with a video!
Pricing:
Sunday-Thursday 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Tickets: $30 – 45 per car at non-peak times
$45 – 60 per car at peak times
However, they now have announced $10 Tuesdays!
Now through the end of the season, Sever’s Holiday Lights is offering $10 admission on Tuesday nights!
The Spirit of Winter – Waconia
The Winery at Sovereign Estate
November 17 – December 30
Times start at 4:00pm each night
A light show at a WINERY? Yes, please!
The cost is $10.00 per person (Ages 4 and under are free).
The Winery at Sovereign Estate invites you to light-up the season with our Spirit of Winter: Festival of Lights from November 17th – December 30th. The Estate is transformed into an illuminated winter wonderland, with over twenty miles of musical synchronized lights strung over 20 acres of our lakeshore property. This outdoor walking experience permits guests to stroll the vineyards and grounds and enjoy a variety of attractions like our Candy Cane Lane, life size Nativity scene, photo opportunity at Santa’s Sleigh, real live winter Llamas, inflatable Snowman Ball, children’s Snow Maze, kid’s Boot Hockey Arena, and Nana’s Gingerbread House! Once you arrive, guests also have the opportunity to purchase Holly Trolley rides in our Wine Store for a special guided tour of the decorated grounds. The real life Santa will be arriving every night from November 17th-December 23rd at 5pm-7:30pm during the Christmas season. All guests will enjoy the pleasure of meeting the famous Mr. Claus as he wanders our Spirit of Winter event. This is a Family Friendly Event that everyone is sure to love with a range of hot treats to keep you warm and toasty! Grab a hot chocolate, cookies, or roast a s’more at our S’more Station! Adults can enjoymulled wine, boozy hot cocoa, local brews, and our full range of wine at our Polar Bear Bar! Our Blizzard Bistro will also be serving up items like chili and our famous flatbreads. Be sure to check out our Wine Store for the perfect holiday gift including holiday and Sovereign merchandise, our stuffed Christmas llamas, and, of course, bottles of our Sovereign Estate Wine!
Admission tickets can be purchased in advance online. You can buy tickets with cash at the gate if it’s not sold out in advance.
This is an outdoor, walking event.
Winter Lights 2023 – Chaska
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
November 16th – December 31
Mondays – Thursdays 5:00 – 9:00pm, Fridays – Sundays 5:00 – 10:00pm.
Opening night is November 16th! Tickets are now on sale.
They also have special nights:
- Opening Night with a lighting ceremony
- Photography Night on Dec. 6
- Family Nights on Dec. 7 & 21
- Date Nights on Nov 30 & Dec 14
- New Year’s Eve Party on Dec. 31
Dress warm as it’s all outside – there are 16 outdoor light displays, featuring flowers, nature and winter fun, on an accessible, stroller-friendly walk that’s just over a half-mile. Embrace all that a Minnesota winter has to offer.
New for 2023 will be a color-changing tunnel, a Winter Village on Scarecrow Hill and a field of sunflowers, all with more lights than ever before! Revisit the 16-foot Weeping Willow in a new space and walk through a giant apple, which pays tribute to the Arboretum’s Horticultural Research Center’s apple breeding, including the Honeycrisp apple. Roast marshmallows over an open fire at the S’mores Village (s’mores kits for four people on sale for $7) or visit the Oswald Visitor Center for sandwiches, light snacks and a full cash bar.
Tickets cost $10 for members, $25 for non-members, free for children ages 15 and younger.
Light Displays in Wisconsin
Miracle at Big Rock – St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
November 24th through January 1st
Walk through or drive through!
Walk Through WED-SUN.
It costs: $15 KIDS (3 and under free) and $20 Adults (or $25 at the door).
Veterans and seniors are $15.
DRIVE Thru MON-TUES.
$12/person
They have so much! Fireworks shows too.
Sam’s Christmas Village & Light Tour – Somerset, Wisconsin
November 24 – December 31, 2023
Sun to Thurs, 5:00pm – 8:00pm, and Fri & Sat, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
This one alternates drive-through nights with walk-through nights. Families have been loving it!
Check their schedule for drive-through and walk-through times.
Cost is $20 for adults for walk through, or $15 for adults to drive through, $10 for kids ages 4 – 10, free for kids 2 and under, and 1/2 off with military ID.
Parking is $10.
Neighborhoods to Explore
Albertville – STMA.com created this map of beautiful light displays.
Arden Hills, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville & Shoreview – The awesome holiday light map for 2023 will be live December 8th!
Elk River – Check out the 2023 Holiday Light Tour Map.
Hugo – The Adelaide Landing neighborhood in Hugo is having the 3rd annual Christmas Lights display as a fundraiser for the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf!
Inver Grove Heights – Joe Atkins, County Commissioner, created this map of over 80 holiday lights displays. Here’s his Facebook post about it. A goal of creating this free map is to encourage support for local businesses.
Roseville – Their 2023 lights map will go live on December 8th! Check their Facebook page for info.
Virginia, MN – Here is a list of decorated houses and businesses!
Want more?
Ice Castles are coming back – this time in Maple Grove!
Use code FrugalMN online starting November 29th, 2023!
Also, join my Facebook group, Minnesota Holiday Lights!
Are there other light displays you know of that should be added to this list?