Drive-through & Walk-through Christmas Lights and Events

November 20, 2022 Family Fun, Outdoor, Social Distancing, Winter

Louisville Drive & Walk-through Holiday events are so much fun for 2022 and we have collected ideas for holiday experiences to enjoy LIGHTS!

Families got creative last year and it will continue again this year. These drive-through holiday events are contactless and outdoors!

Louisville drive-through Christmas lights and drive-through Christmas events are popping up all over the area for contactless, outdoor, safe family fun this holiday season. There are also many walk-through experiences. We are thrilled that places are innovating! Usually, we have a list pages and pages long of all sorts of Christmas events taking place over two months. This year, we have to search a little more!

We have found options for families and will keep adding to this Louisville drive-through Christmas list. If we find more options, we will add them. Events are listed chronologically based on when they open. Lots of these are available every night so it’s a good idea to think about going on a weeknight, these will be popular. Some of these may even have had opportunities to get out and snap some photos!

Before you head out, be sure to print one of our SCAVENGER HUNTS. There’s a complete version and a fill-in-the-blank option!

Although some of these are free drive-through events, there are some that have a fee. For those, we will indicate a fee with ‘$’ so you know what to expect. And, to be contactless, you likely have to purchase advanced tickets for those Louisville drive-through Christmas events.

Map it and plan your visits!

Louisville Christmas Lights Events:

November 25 – January 1 – walk-through this year.

November 25 — January 1 – walk-though this year

Winter Woods Spectacular: *Back this year as a Walk-through*($). Winter Woods Spectacular is a walk-through event in Iroquois Park. Walk through the majestic woods, lit up with thousands of lights and beautiful winter scenery. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 3-10 years old, and free for children 2 and under. As a ticketed event, proceeds benefit the Parks Alliance of Louisville.

Clay Street Light Show– we don’t have updated dates for this show for 2022 yet. NEW and FREE! 1249 S Clay St, 40203. A 10-min drive-through show synchronized to holiday music transmitted through your car’s FM stereo at 89.9 FM. The show runs Fri-Sat 6PM-10pm, and Sunday 6pm-8pm.

Clay Street Light Show

Patterson St Elizabethtown – Lights are on from 5:30p-9p every night.

November 11 – January 1

Lights Under Louisville ($) Louisville Mega Cavern drive-through Christmas lights. Get your tickets in advance online. There are also daytime experiences for 4-6 people, the Christmas Express. Additionally, you can pay more to ‘skip the line’ and get a priority pass for evening dates.

November 25 – January 3

Light Up Louisville – FREE – Downtown festive light display will include a rainbow of colors to celebrate Christmas, along with holiday-themed gobo lights celebrating Kwanza, Hanukah and all of the seasons special days that seek to reflect the diversity of our community. Lots of Lights parade will again march down Jefferson Street into the heart of Light Up Louisville, vendor village, and children’s area.

November 21 – December 31

Information pending for 2022. Free Drive through light show in Jeffersontown, Veterans Memorial Park. Save the date: December 21 5:30-7pm, Santa and Elves will be there. Isn’t it wonderful that this Louisville drive-through Christmas event is free?!

Light up Jeffersontown 2022 will be on Sunday, November 27 from 5:30-7:30 on Gaslight Square District on Watterson Trail at Taylorsville Road

November 25 – December 31

Southern Lights Holiday Festival ($35 per car) The Kentucky Horse Park – 5:30 pm-10pm. If you are looking for a little trip, take an excursion to Lexington for this drive-through holiday lights event. You drive-through three miles of dazzling holiday light displays along the charming farm lanes at the horse park. Not open on Christmas Eve.

November 25 – December 11

Lights on Main – Repurposed Lot, 615 West Main Street. Walk through a display of live Christmas trees for the community to enjoy and benefits a local non-profit through tree sponsorship. Free, there is a donation box.

Monday and Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday, Thursday, &, Sunday: 4:00-8:00 p.m., Friday: 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Saturday: 2:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

November 25 – December 31

Zoneton Christmas House – 4201 Zoneton Road – 5:30pm – 11pm, 6am-8am, Christmas Eve, all night. They will have a letter to Santa mailbox this year for kids to put their letters in. Santa and Mrs. Claus hand out treat bags some nights, check the Facebook page for dates and times for this.

December 16-18

Shawnee Park is hosting a free drive thought event from 6-10 pm. This event will transform West Louisville’s Shawnee Park into a magical drive-thru festival featuring over 200,000 lights, musical performances, festive tunes, holiday displays, and more.

More outdoor holiday events:

Rudolph’s Run November 24-December 24, 2022. ($) An adventure in your car, solving clues to find the missing information to complete Santa’s List. The will event have a skating rink and Christmas Market at the end.

Throughout the season

Blue’s Light Show is also fun for the family and free to experience. At this home, the sequence the lights to music. When you are there, to listen to the music, please tune your radio to 91.3 FM and enjoy. When visiting, you stay in your care and take in the show! Very save Louisville drive-through light show and holiday event! Location: 4602 Glenna Way, 40219.

Also, a reader emailed us about her own home in Shelby County that has a cool display. She has over 100,000 lights, and 18 computers that run the show. It is a 18 minute show with a 42 minute intermission (during intermission lights are just constantly on), all synchronized to music. Impressive! Derby Lane Lights: The address is 580 Derby Lane Finchville, KY 40022.

Click here to see a YouTube video

November 23 – January 1

Lights at Freeman Lake Park (Elizabethtown) – If you are looking for an evening out, you can go to Freeman Lake Park nightly from 6 – 11pm. Drive-through lights with fun themes like Rudolph, to Christmas themed Star Wars, nativity and more. You turn off your lights and turn on the music! It is FREE, donations accepted.

November 25 – January 1

Charlestown’s Christmas City – FREE – This is in Southern Indiana. Walk around or if you want to drive-through and see the lights, you can see the lights in the town square from the road. Thursdays – Saturdays: Train Rides take place from 6-10 from the Family Activities Park. Ticket sales begin around 5:45, $5. Christmas Mini golf is also $5.

Greenway Park will have live reindeer to visit on Wednesday, Dec. 21 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Concessions at Greenway Park on Fridays and Saturdays 6-10pm. Holiday markets on Saturdays through 12/17.

November 27 – December 25

Toyland Christmas Display – FREE – Awesome house that lights up so bright, it’s wonderful. You can drive by or step out and walk around. You can learn more about it by clicking here.

More outdoor drive-through holiday events:

December 1 – December 30 (Various dates open, check website)

Gardens Aglimmer at Waterfront Botanical Gardens – ($) 5:45pm-9pm (arrival on grounds begins at 5:30pm). Nightly Slots Available: 5:45pm, 6:30pm, 7:15pm, 8pm. LIGHTS TURN OFF AT 9PM. $7.50 for WBG members | $10 for non-members | $5 for ages 7 – 12, FREE for ages 6 and under, ON PEAK NIGHTS: $11.25 for WBG members | $15 for non-members | $7.50 for ages 7 – 12, FREE for ages 6 and under.

Must purchase tickets in advance.

More Ongoing options

Windemere Subdivision in Hikes Point (Off Lowe Road) – many houses to see like the one below. Map in the link in the prior sentence, turn on Ashfield Lane to see many many homes with fantastic decorations.

Head to Warder Park in Jeffersonville. You can drive around the square or get out and walk around and see the beautiful lights as shown in the video below. Check out their video here.

Lights on Tamarack runs from the day after Thanksgiving to the end of the year. See their Facebook page for videos. Address is 9210 Tamarack Grove Ln, Louisville

1716 Larkmoor Ln, Louisville, KY 40218 has a lights show set to music, you can tune in on your radio

4610 Springdale Ct, Louisville 40229 has tons of items on display and lights set to music.

Light Up St. Matthews is December 3 from 3-6pm. Even if you don’t go to the light up event, you can drive by Brown Park and see the lights on your own or get out and walk around! Grab a hot chocolate before you go, makes for a really nice evening.

Drive right by the minion house in New Albany! 2032 Indiana Ave New Albany, IN 47150. The ground is lit with lights and they have SO MANY blow-up minions in their yard. It is a sight! Fun even during the day when they are blown up but not lit. We have included some videos below so you can see what to expect!

drive thru christmas lights buffalo trace

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Take a little trip to Frankfort and drive through the lights at Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Holiday Light Displays – Dec. 2nd – Jan. 1st

Enjoy the enchanted twinkling light displays of Buffalo Trace Distillery nightly from December 2-January 1, 5:30pm to 8:30pm. It is FREE! An estimated 150,000 colorful lights, including four brand new light displays by the Visitor Center. Santa will make an appearance on special nights! Buffalo Trace Distillery is located at 113 Great Buffalo Trace, in Frankfort, Ky.

If you are looking for more Christmas fun, we have a full list of holiday events! Click here.

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