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Christmas Lights
ccording to Buddy the Elf, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is by ‘singing loud for all to hear.’ Arguably the next best way to get in the Holiday spirit, is to take in the beauty of vibrant light displays. Luckily, there are almost a dozen Christmas light displays scattered throughout our 21-county territory of ILLINOISouth! We will start in our western region, and work our way east highlighting some of the best features of each light display. For nearly 20 years, the small community of Coulterville in Randolph County has played host to one of the most impressive light displays you’ll ever see. The Coulterville Holiday Light Display has a drivethru portion, and a walking portion. The drive-thru display spans FIFTEEN city blocks, featuring 2 million lights and over 600 figurines. In the park, there is the walk-thru display which has over a MILLION lights, as well as hundreds of decorated trees and animated scenes. The Coulterville Holiday Light Display is totally free, and opens for the season on December 3rd!
The American Farm Heritage Museum in Greenville plays host to their Christmas Lights Wonderland every year, and it is a sight to behold. This marks the 13th year for the event, which isn’t your typical light display, as it’s more of a Christmas scene display. There are dozens of different display cases each with different figurines and decorations inside. You can visit Christmas Lights Wonderland nightly from 5-9pm, through December 31st. It is free to the public, but donations are accepted.
Stiefs have 44 display cases with over 200 characters inside that act out different Holiday scenes. The Woburn Christmas Display is literally set up in the Stief's driveway, and it attracts about TEN THOUSAND people each year. The display is a walk-through experience, and while there is no charge – donations are accepted. This is one VERY unique Christmas tradition you won’t want to miss. For the past two decades the Holiday Lights Fair at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds has become a Christmas tradition for many folks in southern Illinois. Organizers are hoping to have some of the festivities back in the Expo Hall this year; including live music, meeting Santa, and vendor booths. In terms of the
Not far north of Greenville sits the very small town of Woburn where Dave Stief and his wife decorate their home each and every year. When we say decorate, we don’t mean your traditional tree and lights. The WAY OF LIGHTS IN BELLEVILLE
HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAY IN COULTERVILLE
The community of Lebanon is very proud of their Winter Wonderland display, put on every year in Horner Park. The drive-thru experience is free of charge, but donations are accepted. Lebanon’s Winter Wonderland is open Sunday-Thursday from 5-9pm, and from 5-10pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, beginning November 19th.
c MIDWEST NOMAD FAMILY
For a truly one-of-a-kind experience, Wonderlights Christmas at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison is WELL WORTH the visit. Not only are you driving on a professional racetrack for portions of the display, but the sights and sounds are amazing. There are over a MILLION LED lights set to new and traditional Christmas music that you can listen to on your radio while driving through!
c JULIE STALEY | @princessjhs
One of the more well-known drive-thru light displays in ILLINOISouth is the Way of Lights, located at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville. This is the 52nd year for the Way of Lights, which has become a fan-favorite tradition for families in St. Clair County and beyond. The best time to visit the Way of Lights to avoid large crowds is on Family Night Tuesdays - which also features discounts on camel and pony rides. There are also special deals on treats to feed the animals in the petting zoo!
CHRISTMAS DISPLAY IN WOBURN
If you’re near Clinton County this Holiday season, we highly recommend a drive through Carlyle City Park to view over a million lights they have on display. This drive-thru display is free to the public! They also have a contest for children 13 and under, to find Piper the Penguin – which moves frequently throughout the park. You definitely will NOT want to miss Christmas in Carlyle! Foundation Park in Centralia is home to the Fantasy of Lights, which is a popular drive-thru display that draws thousands of people each year. Fantasy of Lights is usually open through January 1st, and is free to the public – but donations are accepted.
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Holiday 2021
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