Holiday Lights Displays in DC, Maryland & Virginia

There’s nothing like the streets filled with sparkling lights during the holiday season. Our family loves to visit the many light displays across the Washington, DC area. We try to visit at least 4 spots each year so excited to explore a few new places with a cup of hot chocolate by our sides. Each display offers different experiences, some as drive thru’s and others with outdoor walk around trails. Whichever you choose, be sure to take lots of pictures and make lasting memories.

Maryland

Flat Iron Farm Christmas Light Show – Great Mills
Nov 23 – Dec 31
Friday & Saturday Night 5-9pm (Closed Thursday & Sunday) Except the weekend before 
Christmas. 
Free Admission
Flat Iron Farm Christmas Light Show Walk Around Village

Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park – Upper Marlboro
November 23 – January 1
5-9:30 pm daily
Entrance Fee: $10 per car (FREE Entrance Dates: December 3 & 25)
Winter Festival of Lights is Prince George’s County, Maryland’s spectacular drive-through Christmas light display featuring more than a million twinkling lights. Bring canned food items to donate to local food banks for the holidays.

Symphony of Lights – Columbia
Nov. 22-Dec. 30 (Wednesdays-Sundays), 6-10 p.m.
* CLOSED Sunday, Dec. 2
Entrance Fee: $20-$25 per car 
A dazzling display of more than 100 larger-than-life animated and stationary holiday light creations, made up of approximately 300,000 bulbs. During the past 20+ years, nearly 2 million individuals have visited the lights, and proceeds from the event have raised more than $8 million to benefit Howard County General Hospital

Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights  – Annapolis City Harbor
December 8, 2018
6-8 pm
Free Event
Enjoy a parade of lights when more than 70 power and sailboats show off their holiday decorations. See the magic happen on the water of the Annapolis Harbor as boats suddenly appear out of the cold winter night illuminated with thousands of colored lights and crewed by jolly revelers.  The Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade is one of Annapolis’ signature events crews.

The City of Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival – Seneca State Park
November 23 – December 31
Entrance Fee: $12-$17 per car
Sunday – Thursday: 6 – 9 pm; Friday & Saturday: 6 – 10 pm
Drive through 3.5 miles of more than 380 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes in Seneca Creek State Park.

Brookside Gardens of Lights – Wheaton
November 16 – January 1  (daily)
Weekdays: 5:30-9pm; Weekends 5:30-10 pm – Closed November 19-22 & December 24-25
$25-35 per car
Walk through a winter wonderland with more than one million colorful lights shaped into hand-crafted, original art forms of flowers, animals and other natural elements. Go inside the conservatory to enjoy watching G-scale model trains wind through a seasonal landscape. Nightly musical performances.

Lights on the Bay at Sandy Point State Park – Annapolis
November 17 – January 1 (daily, including holidays)
5-10 pm
$15 per car
Take a scenic drive through a holiday lights show at Sandy Point State Park. Sponsored by the Anne Arundel Medical Center, your family will enjoy driving along the Chesapeake Bay Shore with over 60 animated and stationary displays illuminating the roadway. Events every weekend.

North Pole Lights Walk at Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm – Severn
November 23 – December 22 (Friday & Saturday)
4:30-8 pm
$5 children/16+ $7
This walk through garden of flowers and arctic animals will lead to the North Pole Palace.

Annmarie Garden in Lights – Solomons
November 30 – January 1
6-9 pm (CLOSED Dec. 3,4,24,25)
Cost: $6/ children 2 & under FREE
Don’t miss this award-winning light display! This is walking tour will allow families to stroll the path, and be transported to a place of spectacular lights with animal, airplanes, pirates, princesses, circus acts  and the list goes on! Enjoy the “Holiday I Spy Game,” nightly entertainment, special discount nights, sweet treats, and other fun activities.

Miracle on 34th Street – Baltimore
November 24 – January 1
720 West 34th Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21211
FREE Drive Thru Display
Take a slow drive down through a Hampden neighborhood to see a light display that is visible from space. The entire block of houses participate in stringing lights across 34th Street! From inflatables to nativity scene, this neighborhood does not disappoint!

Virginia

Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
Old Town Alexandria Marina and Washington Harbour
December 1
Parade: 5:30 pm/Festivities at the marina 2-9 pm
FREE
See dozens of festively decorated pleasure boats light up the sky along the Potomac River. The parade begins at Alexandria’s waterfront and travels to Washington’s Channel at Water St. off of Maine Avenue.

Bull Run Festival of Lights
Bull Run Regional Park – Centreville
November 21 – January 6
Monday – Thursday & Sunday: 5:30 to 9:30 pm, Fridays, Saturdays & Holidays: 5:30 to 10 pm
$20 – $25 per car – $5 Off Coupon Here
The Bull Run Festival of Lights, 2.5 miles illuminated by holiday light displays. Drive the festival route from the comfort of your car; turn out your headlights and just follow the magical glow. After viewing the lights, hit up the holiday village to enjoy rides, refreshments, and of course, photos with Santa Claus.

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Gardens
9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court – Vienna
November 9 – January 6
5:30 to 10 pm
Admission: $8- $14 (purchase online for discount)
Meadowlark Gardens is an outdoor trail with displays totaling more than 500,000 lights! Light fountains, a garden of illumination, a tunnel of light, birds, bees, squirrels, the Gingerbread Village, Holly Berry Hill, Korean Bell Garden, many photo ops and more is in store for the entire family. 

Washington, DC

ZooLights
National Zoo
November 23 – January 1 (Closed Dec. 24 & 25)
5-9 pm
FREE Admission
The National Zoo presents a seasonal display more than 500,000 environmentally-friendly LED lights of thousands of sparkling animated lights! New this year: Glow-in-the-dark play zone for children features light-up LED games, GRUMP Holiday Market, and the CulturalDC’s SPACE4: Mobile Art Gallery. Some attractions are additional.

Festival of Lights
Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Kensington
November 29 – January 1
Open Every Day from 10 am – 10 pm
FREE Admission
Each night families can experience entertainment by at performing artist or group including bell ensembles, choirs, orchestras, and more! Each performance is presented twice nightly on grounds. See over 650,000 lights, nativity, and Christmas trees decorated in international themes.

District Holiday Boat Parade
The Wharf DC
Dec 1
6-9 pm
FREE Admission
Celebrate the season with a boat parade. Many activities to participate in including boat decorating, sipping hot cocoa, making s’mores at the fire pit, live music, skating on our ice rink and sampling winter drinks.

Did I miss something? Let me know and I’ll add it to the list!!