RV + the season
Holiday-lights drives & displays
From a million-bulb drive-through to a botanical garden glowing under the cold, holiday-lights displays are a warm, easy night out on a winter RV trip. These are the big, established ones, each anchored on its official park or garden page. We've flagged whether it's a drive-through or walk-through, the season, and a base nearby. Most are ticketed with timed entry and sell out — and a drive-through may have vehicle-size limits, so check before you bring the rig.
Feel the season
Most run late November into early January — book timed-entry tickets ahead.
Bull Run Festival of Lights
Mid-November through just after New Year's Day (2025 season opened Nov 14
Drive-through · 2.5-mile light route
Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park
Mid-November through Dec 31 (2025 season ran Nov 13–Dec 31
Drive-through · 3-mile driving route
Lights on the Lake at Onondaga Lake Park
Mid-November through mid-January (season set yearly
Drive-through · ~2-mile route along the lake
Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
Late November through early January (2025 season ran Nov 21–Jan 4
Walk-through · Half-mile paved trail
Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Mid-November through early January (published season Nov 15–Jan 3
Walk-through · ~1 mile of lighted pathways
PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Mid-November through early January (2026–27 season Nov 19–Jan 3
Walk-through · 5 million LED lights
Bentleyville Tour of Lights
Late November through late December (2025 season Nov 22–Dec 27
Walk-through · Free admission
When it happens
November falls inside every display's window
| January | 4 |
|---|---|
| February | 0 |
| March | 0 |
| April | 0 |
| May | 0 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 0 |
| September | 0 |
| October | 0 |
| November | 7 |
| December | 6 |
Counted from the window each display gives on its own page — 7 of 7 name specific months. Timing shifts year to year; confirm with the agency before you book.
Unlike everything else in this section, these dates are decided by people. A display opens and closes on an operator's published schedule, which means the window is reliable in a way a bloom or a run never is — and also that it can change outright between one year and the next.
The practical constraints are the ones an RV feels first: many drive-through displays cap vehicle length or charge by the vehicle, and the busiest nights sell timed tickets that go before the gate opens. Check the operator's own page for this year's dates and any length limit before committing the rig.
Where you would base
States with a display on this page
Check before you go
The 7 agencies these pages cite
- NOVA Parks (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority) — Bull Run Festival of Lights
- Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission — Holiday Festival of Lights
- Lights on the Lake (official site, Onondaga County Parks)
- Montgomery Parks (M-NCPPC) — Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens — Gardens Aglow
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — PNC Festival of Lights
- Bentleyville USA — Tour of Lights (official dates & times)