The DC Traveler

Even if your environmentally unaware neighbor uses 700 gigawatts of electricity each night powering their own personal holiday light show (see below video), you may feel more inclined to check out some of the area’s professionally designed Christmas and holiday light displays.

And there are enough to let you visit one a week, from now until Christmas, and even hit one during the first week of January.

• The Winter Lights Festival in suburban Gaithersburg, MD is a 3½ mile drive through Seneca Creek State Park with more than 400 unique displays. Open daily except Christmas, 6-9 p.m. (until 10:00 p.m. weekends). $10.00 per car weekdays, $10.00 weekdays. 
• The Garden of Lights Winter Garden Walk at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.  With live music most nights (6:30 - 8:30), the displays along this walk include over 600,000 lights.  Open most days in December, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m. (last admission 8:30)  Closed Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 24, 25 and 31. Also open the first week of January.  $15.00 per car (cash only).
• Winter Festival of Lights display at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro in Maryland incorporates over 1 million lights for it’s drive-through display. Open daily through Jan. 1 - 5:00 - 9:30 p.m. $5.00 per car, but a donation of canned food for local food banks is appreciated. FREE admission on Christmas day.
• In suburban Virginia, the popular 2½ mile holiday light show at the Bull Run Festival of Lights at Bull Run Regional Park in Centerville draws over 125,000 people annually.  Daily, 5:00 - 9:30 p.m through January 6th.  $20 per car weekends, $15 on weekdays. Click here for a $3.00 weekday discount coupon.
• On the heels of the latest Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, MD, the 2½ mile Lights on the Bay show displays over 60 animated scenes. Admission is $12.00 per car and the drive open nightly until January 1st. from 5:00-9:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m.
• At the Symphony Woods at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, you can enjoy the Symphony of Lights and its 75 giant sculptures of lights along the 1.4-mile drive. Admission is $20.00 per car. Hours after December 8th are from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. nightly. until 10:00 p.m. before and after Jan 1st. Through Jan. 7th.
• And finally, The National Zoo presents Zoolights.  With lots of kid-friendly activities, samples of treats, live music and all your favorite animals, this walk is sure to delight the kiddies, as long as they are bundled up. Tickets are $10.00 per person and available online, kids under 2 FREE. Nightly, Wednesdays - Sundays, through December 30th, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

This amazing and over-the-top light show from a couple years ago, is the best home holiday light show I’ve even seen.  The tune is Christmas Eve /Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

But really now, aren’t you glad you don’t live next to this guy?

Images - Flickr

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