Christmas Lights

According 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 drive-thru 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!

Way of Lights in Belleville

Credit: Julie Staley | IG: @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 52 nd 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!

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!

Holiday Light Display in Coulterville

Credit: Midwest Nomad Family

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 .

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.

Christmas Display in Woburn

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.

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 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.

Christmas in Carlyle in Clinton County

Credit: Midwest Nomad Family

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 lights - it is an amazing drive-thru display with over three miles of lights to admire. Admission to the Holiday Lights Fair is $10 a carload and is usually open through December 30th from 5:30-9:30pm.

Another long-running fan-favorite that attracts folks for miles is the Christmas Light Display in Olney’s City Park. It features the sounds of Christmas along with colorful lights and displays to celebrate the season. “We are excited to offer the Christmas Light Display each and every year,” explains Olney’s City Clerk, Kelsie Sterchi. “It truly spreads the magic of the holiday season and is something that several people look forward to each year.” Because it is a drive-thru display, it is totally safe in terms of social distancing. Because of that, this event was able to go on last year. “We are fortunate that we were still able to offer the display in 2020. Donations were also record-breaking which have allowed us to purchase some new additions for this year,” Sterchi adds. The displays will be aglow Sunday - Thursday from 5-9pm, and from 5-10pm on Friday and Saturday. Make a visit to Olney now through the end of December to experience this AWESOME display. It is free to the public, but donations are accepted at the exit.

Lourdes Grotto at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the sNow

To experience a great display and also help a fantastic cause at the same time, a trip to Carmi is a must. Carmi’s Christmas Lights of Hope can be found at the White County Fairgrounds, and is open each Friday through Sunday from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. The display can be seen from 6 to 9pm each of those nights, and proceeds from the display go towards Carmi Christmas Elves Inc. The non-profit’s mission is to provide support, both financial and otherwise to local youth and poverty-stricken residents in the community.

A new light display that just took off in 2020 can be found at Fairview Park in Casey! It opens up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and is open through the end of the year. “During the summer of 2020 we decided that we needed some brightness and this was the year to make it happen,” explains Casey’s Economic Development Director, Bailey Maulding. “When we started we weren’t sure how it was going to happen but everything started to come together. We could not have done this without the help of our sponsors, businesses, The City of Casey Electric Department, the crews of Maulding Excavating, our nightly volunteers, and most of all each and every one of you that supported Christmas in Fairview Park by driving through night after night,” Maulding adds. “The response in 2020 was incredible! We hope you and your families enjoyed the display as much as we did. We have so many ideas to make 2021 even better! We can’t wait to see you!”