It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Trees are decorated, stockings are hung, and there are Christmas lights lining the streets waiting to be admired. Admiring Christmas lights has been a tradition families have enjoyed for generations, including mine. Every year my family goes to Ogden to visit the Christmas Village located in downtown Ogden. Utah offers multiple light attractions that people have enjoyed for decades. This is a brief introduction to Utah’s most popular attractions.

Utah’s biggest outdoor light display is located at Luminaria in the Ashton Gardens, at Thanksgiving point. Luminaria has been a tradition since 1995 and was founded at Thanksgiving point by Karen and Alan Ashton. Luminaria begins on November 17th and continues until December 31st. During this time, displays of over 6,500 programmable luminaries blanket hills

with each luminary pixel displaying a moving image of flying reindeer. The iconic 120-foot tree is also on display during this time and is incorporated in the show. While on your tour you can also enjoy s’mores at glowing firepits, hot chocolate, sweets from the gift boutique, interactive game areas, and more. 

Christmas in color is Utah’s largest drive-thru light show with over 1.5 million LED lights on display (Image at the top). This colorful light show takes place in South Jordan at the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park, along with many other locations across the US. Christmas in color has been a family favorite for years because of its large display of colorful lights and animated figures such as snowmen, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and candy canes, all synced up to a radio channel that can be played in your vehicle. Christmas in color begins November 18th and ends January 2nd, what a perfect way to end the year! 

Another Christmas tradition that has been around for years are the lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Christmas lights at Temple Square are turned on after the Thanksgiving holiday and remain on until New Year’s Day. During these evenings, Temple Square is aglow with over one million lights. The first lighting ceremony at Temple Square displayed 40,000 lights and was held in 1965 when nearly 15,000 people gathered around to watch. Lights at the temple are on from 3:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. The Temple Square lights and concerts are an annual tradition for many in the surrounding communities of Salt Lake City. 

For another year, the 16th annual Zoolights is back at the Hogle Zoo located in Salt Lake City. The Hogle Zoo is open for select dates through December 30th, 2022 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. while the animals sleep. ZooLights features new lights this year with a 135-foot Kaleidoscopic light tunnel, around-the-world themed scavenger hunt, the 12 gifts you can give for conservation, memorable photo opportunities, exclusive treats, a 20-foot grand tree, and visits with Santa. The Hogle Zoo Christmas lights are an attraction for kids of all ages and include fantastical light displays of animals, characters, and holiday scenes around the zoo. 

Located in downtown Ogden is the annual Christmas Village, a tradition my family looks forward to every year. The light displays in Christmas Village begin November 26th and go on until January 1st. The lights at Christmas Village are turned on at 5:00 p.m. and stay on until midnight. The best part about this attraction is that it is entirely free! (Even getting photos with Santa). Santa visits the Christmas Village Monday through Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. starting on November 26th and going through December 23rd. Horse carriage rides are also offered at the park by private companies. 

Looking at Christmas lights with family and friends is definitely one of the best ways to receive good old Christmas spirit and spread Christmas cheer.