Christmas Lights Shows
by America's Best and Top Ten

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             Top 10 Holiday Light Shows    

1. Silver Dollar City - Branson, MO - November 4th
   Millions of Christmas lights cover the whole park. Plus, the entire City is transformed into a holiday wonderland each evening at 5:30 p.m. as guests join together on the Square for the lighting of the dazzling, five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree. Adorned with over 250,000 lights coordinated to blaze to the musical movements of Christmas songs, this unique Special Effects Christmas Tree presents classics such as "Carol of the Bells" and Handel’s "Hallelujah Chorus" in a spectacular light and sound show.

2. Oglebay Festival of Lights - Wheeling, WV - November 8th January 7th. In 1985 a holiday tradition began at Oglebay and spread throughout the city of Wheeling. That tradition is the Winter Festival of Lights celebration. The first year, displays and landscape lighting covered about 125 acres over a three-mile drive throughout the resort. Since then, the show has grown into one of the nation's largest Christmas light shows, covering more than three hundred acres over a six-mile drive throughout the resort.

3. Fantasy of Lights - Pine Mountain, GA - November-December
   A 5 mile drive by car or trolley takes visitors past 13 holiday scenes with more than 8 million  Christmas lights.  Since 1992, this outdoor light and sound show has glittered with holiday magic for millions of people. Families from across the Southeast have added Fantasy In Lights to their list of memorable holiday traditions. This year, experience the 15th annual Fantasy In Lights with its eight million lights creating more than a dozen beautiful scenes, and you'll see why this is the brightest holiday light show in the South!

4. Smoky Mountain Winterfest - Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN.  Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a magical celebration that begins in late fall.  Ride the Trolley Tour of Lights around Pigeon Forge and claim a spot on the sidewalk  for Gatlinburg's "Fantasy of Lights" Christmas Parade, featuring lighted floats, marching bands and giant helium balloons.  This event combines 3 Tennessee cities: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. These neighboring Smoky Mountain towns are ablaze with 5 million lights thru February.

5. International Festival of Lights - Battle Creek, MI - The 2006 Battle Creek International Festival of Lights begins on the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year with the Battle Creek, MI Holiday Parade and ends on December 31, New year's Eve.  Attended by over 200,000 people. This annual six-week-long winter holiday event features more than one million sparkling lights illuminating greater Battle Creek.

6. Trail of Lights - Austin, TX - December 9th - December 23rd.
   The  Trail of Lights is a mile long display of 42 lighted scenes, US Post Office, Santa's House, the Yule Log, and an entertainment stage. The festival begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted tree consisting of 3,309 bulbs on 39 streamers strung from Austin's historical Moonlight Tower. Since 1987 the honor of lighting the tree has been bestowed upon the winner of the city-wide children's tree coloring contest. The tree lighting ceremony takes place on the first Sunday of December.

7. Holiday Festival of Lights, Charleston, S.C. - November 10th  - January 1.  In 1990, Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission created the Holiday Festival of Lights to bring families and friends together and to raise support for the Charleston county park system. With over 600 individual displays located throughout the park in 132 power locations, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a magical sight to see!

8. Bright Nights at Forest Park - Springfield, MA - November 22rd
   Now entering its 11th season, “Bright Nights at Forest Park” is New England’s single most popular holiday destination. This year some addition prehistoric creatures will help bring in this holiday season.

9. Enchanted Garden of Lights, Chattanooga, TN - November 17th - January 6th.
   See Rock City! The gardens' natural beauty is complemented by more than 25 holiday scenes as half a million lights illuminate rock formations along the Enchanted Trail.

10. Mission Inn - Riverside, CA - November 24th - January 7th.
    This magnificent hotel and grounds have over two million Christmas lights!  Enjoy the sounds of the holiday season as our Dickens’ Carolers stroll throughout the hotel every Thursday through Sunday, beginning November 25, 2005, or enjoy a romantic carriage ride around the grounds - to take in the lights of the holiday season.
     
    


 

Honorable Mention
100 Miles of Lights - Virginia Beach, VA
Christmas Lighting Festival -  Leavenworth, WA - 
Clot Family Christmas - Pinecrest, FL - Thanksgiving
Fantasy in Lights, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Festival of Lights - Galveston, Texas 
Magical Nights of Lights - Lake Lanier, GA 
Southern Lights  - Lexington, Ky.
Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Garden -  Huntsville, AL
Tanglewood's Festival of Lights -  Clemmons, N.C
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