Holiday family fun is around the corner with many opportunities for festive experiences and light displays all around our beautiful state. Check out the listings below for the best holiday experiences around the Bluegrass. 

November 5 - January 15  Festival of Lights at Patti's, Over 1.5 million lights adorn Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, the streets of the village, Little Lake Park, businesses, and the marinas. During the holiday season, special character breakfasts take place at Patti’s 1880s, Santa & Mrs. Claus takes time out of their busy schedule for breakfast & lunch with guests at the Community Center, Santa visits with children at Patti’s Settlement, vintage horsedrawn carriages take visitors through the village to view the amazing lights, live Christmas shows take place at the Badgett Playhouse, and much more!

November 12 - January 2, Lights Under Louisville at Louisville Mega Cavern: Enjoy a 30 minute ride through part of the 17 miles of underground passageways in your vehicle featuring over 900 lit characters with over 4,000,000 points of light. The Christmas Express is back and better than ever! What better way to get in the holiday spirit than to witness more than 4,000,000 points of lights and over 900 displays in an open top trailer!

November 15 - January 2, Winter Wonderland of Lights Festival,  Ashland: You are invited to join in celebrating their five-week Winter Wonderland of Lights festival! Stroll through their 52-acre park ablaze with 60 magical holiday displays containing over 800,000 lights. 

November 19 - January 2, Merry & Bright at My Old Kentucky Home, Bardstown: Guides in Victorian hoop skirts and gentleman in tailcoats sing the song “My Old Kentucky Home,” on your tour of Kentucky’s most famous landmark decorated for Christmas, My Old Kentucky Home! The mansion is adorned and decorated with six beautiful 12′ tall Christmas trees, each with a unique Kentucky theme, including the Commonwealth Tree, Meadows in the Bloom, Birds Make Music All the Day, & more! 

November 22 - December 31, Southern Lights at Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington: Celebrating its 28th year at the Kentucky Horse Park, Southern Lights presented by Friends of Coal is a magical holiday tradition for thousands of families throughout the Bluegrass and beyond.  See over a million twinkling lights from the safety of your car and enjoy a stroll through the Holiday Village featuring safe and family friendly activities for all ages.

November 25 - December 31, Christmas in the Park, Paducah: The charming town of Paducah always makes the holidays special. This year they will start the season with a holiday light display at Noble Park. Visitors can make a reservation for a horse-drawn carriage ride to experience the light spectacular in a magical way. The first Saturday of the festival is Small Business Saturday, when Paducah Main Street encourages guests and residents to shop local. The local businesses celebrate the holidays with sales and specials throughout the cheery, historic downtown.

November 25 - January 1, Christmas in the Park, Elizabethtown: This vibrant city invites visitors to the 30th annual Christmas in the Park, at Freeman Lake Park. Travel along an illuminated roadway to enjoy more than 100 brilliant displays. Freeman Lake acts as a stunning backdrop as the lights glimmer off the water. Elizabethtown also opens an artificial Ice Rink for guests and residents to skate around.

November 26 - December 26, Winter Woods Spectacular, Louisville: Experience the twinkling of millions of lights along a winding road, nestled in the majestic woods of historic Iroquois Park. Winter Woods Spectacular is a magical drive of lighting, artistry, and sounds that will delight the senses and transport you to an ethereal winter wonderland, where you can explore and celebrate the holiday season.

November 27 - January 1, Twinkle at the Track, Bowling Green: Wendy’s Twinkle at the Track presented by U.S. Bank is a drive-through holiday light experience on the west track of the NCM Motorsports Park open the day after Thanksgiving through New Years’ Day. Vehicles can drive through more than 25 scenes totaling more than one million bright lights on a 2-mile stretch of racetrack.

November 27 - December 31, Christmas at Panther Creek, Owensboro: Owensboro continues their holiday tradition to raise money for local non-profits. This annual holiday festival offers a drive-through light display with over 400,000 lights through Owensboro’s Panther Creek Park. The display is $5 per vehicle, and all proceeds go to support various Daviess County non-profit organizations. 

November 27 – December 30, Christmastime at Ark Encounter, Williamstown: You’ll enjoy a life-size ark and gardens illuminated in rainbow-colored lights, Ararat Ridge Zoo, festive food and drinks, traditional Christmas carols, a massive fair trade market and gift shop for Christmas shopping, and so much more. 

November 27 - January 17th weekends, The Reindeer Farm, Bowling Green: Visit the reindeer barn to see and learn about Santa's magical reindeer! Play at the indoor playground or visit the gift shop. Letter writing to Santa, holiday themed games, story time with friends from the North Pole. Corn hole available and food trucks so you don’t have to leave for lunch. Cozy up by the fire pit if weather permits! Don’t forget your camera there will be many photo opportunities. Pay online with card or cash in person.

December 2 - January 1,  Lights at Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort: This award-winning distillery combines the best of Kentucky’s bourbon country with holiday festivities. Welcoming guests from all over the world to learn about its history, Buffalo Trace Distillery features complimentary tours and tastings year-round. For the holidays, Buffalo Trace Distillery decorates its grounds with a festive display of more than 145,000 lights. Guests can drive through the kaleidoscopic light display all season long.

December 4, 11, 18, Illuminated Evenings at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg: During the holiday season, Shaker Village will bustle with light-hearted moments that remind us of long-ago winter days filled with wonder and laughter. Make time to delight in life’s simple gifts with family and friends, as lively music, merriment and candlelight illuminate the Village. In addition to their regular Holiday festivities, Illuminated Evenings will feature holiday music, roaring fires, twinkling lights and an appearance by Mrs. Claus!

December 10-12, 17-18, Billie Jean Osborne's Kentucky Opry Christmas Show. The cast performs universally loved carols, themed chart-toppers and sacred hymns in this seasonal spectacle.

Our Kentucky State Parks have numerous holiday experiences on schedule. Breakfast with Santa, holiday ornament workshops, Christmas teas, just to name a few. Visit their schedule of events here. 

Don't forget to check out your local Convention and Visitors Bureau office for any additional holiday activities in your area.