Best places to see Christmas lights near Columbia, TN

Christmas is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends and enjoy the lights of the season. From parades to incredible light displays, the area around Columbia, Tennessee is home to some of the most beautiful Christmas light events and displays in the nation. Look at some of our favorites below.

The Dancing Lights of Christmas

Beginning on Nov. 12 and running through the new year to Jan. 2, you’ll be able to see the largest drive-through Christmas light and music display in Tennessee. The Dancing Lights of Christmas will be held at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, not far from Columbia. The fairgrounds can be found at 1033 Sparta Pike in nearby Lebanon. The Dancing Lights of Christmas will run seven days a week, but it is best to attend during the week, as weekend wait times are considerable. 

The show starts each of the nights listed at 5 p.m. The showrunners ask that all visitors please use the entrance across from Dollar General. In-person and online tickets are available at a rate of $30 per family vehicle, and bulk and corporate ticket sales are available upon e-mail request. Previous years’ displays have included smiling lights, candy cane forests, a multicolored light tunnel, a Christmas tree of swirling and changing lights, snowmen with hats, and trees lit to simulate moving images, like walking snowmen. 

The creators and runners of The Dancing Lights of Christmas are proud to grant free admission to military service members with valid military identification, whether they be full-time, in the reserves, or veterans. They wish all who have served the most blessed of seasons, for without their sacrifices, citizens might not enjoy the freedoms of worship and celebration that they do today. On Nov. 11, join runners from all over the state and region for the Dancing Lights 5k Fun Run. Proceeds from the run will go to support veterans through the VA. 

Everyone at Dancing Lights of Christmas requests that visitors who are able to bring non-perishable food for those in need this season. The Second Harvest Food Bank will receive donations. The suggested donation is three non-perishable or canned food items. Those who donate will gain a $5 discount for the event. Donations will be accepted on Nov. 15-16, 22-23, 29-30, and on Dec. 6-7.

Hoover Lights at Chapel Hill

Join the kind folks over in Chapel Hill for a breathtaking show of winter lights. Hoover Lights won’t be your standard Christmas light fare. These lights have been programmed to activate and deactivate in gorgeous, pulsating, almost otherworldly ways. Previous displays include Santa on his motorcycle, Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, a blue winter wonderland house, and Christmas trees made of lights that change patterns as time goes on. Gingerbread houses, sunrises, magical forests and farmland, and far more can be found at this spectacular holiday event. 

Founded in 2019 by a group of neighborhood Christmas light lovers, Hoover Lights will take place on Old Charlotte Road and Sparrow Street in Chapel Hill.The displays will include more than 80,000 lights of an awesome range of colors and shades. The lights dance to a tune, so make sure you tune in to 107.1 FM to listen in. There is no charge for anyone to come see Hoover Lights, but the showrunners request that you gather your Christmas spirit and donate as well as you can to your favorite Christmas charity. 

The equipment involved is not waterproof, so make sure you check the weather before you drive in. The displays will not be active on rainy nights. Hoover Lights at Chapel Hill will begin the Friday following Thanksgiving Day and will run until New Year’s Eve. If you have attended before and are looking for the Lights on Old Charlotte event, come on over. That event transformed into Hoover Lights in 2019.

A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland

Image via Flickr by Sharon Mollerus | CC BY 2.0

From Nov. 12 through Jan. 2, head on down to Gaylord Opryland for a Country Christmas event like no other. Bring your family and friends and take in a legendary set of country music performances in the heart of the home of country music: Tennessee. Enjoy a meal with the ones dearest to you at the Oak Ridge Boys “Christmas in Tennessee” Dinner Show. Ticket availability is limited, so order online quickly. 

The meal will be made and served by the grand culinary team of Gaylord Opryland, so you can be sure it’ll be a dinner to remember. The Boys will play a range of classic Christmas songs, a few new additions, and some of their own timeless hits. If you choose the Overnight Package ticket option, the dinner will be included. Ice tubing, gingerbread house decoration, ice skating, ice bumper cars, carriage rides, and the Santa’s Spinners spinning tea set ride will all be available to enhance your experience this year. 

One of the more uniquely beautiful aspects of A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland is the Christmas Fountain Show, a complimentary showing of gorgeous lights, dancing water, and memorable holiday music. The runners of A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland respectfully request that guests donate to the Children’s Miracle Network through their Luminaries of Love event. Place a special dedication on your luminary box and either display it with a multitude of others along the Delta River or take it home to a loved one.

Columbia Main Street Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting

On Saturday, Dec. 4, join the people of Columbia in a celebration of the Christmas spirit. In  partnership with the good people of the Columbia Main Street Corporation, the City of Columbia proudly presents a parade of lights. The parade will get going at 6 p.m. at the intersection of West 7th Street and Trotwood. The parade will move downtown in an easterly direction, then around Historic Courthouse Square. The full run of the parade will last around an hour and a half. 

As the parade enters the square, visitors and citizens alike will enjoy a wonderful 20 minutes of live local entertainment. Finally, the parade personnel will light the tree, and a grand celebration will take place. Expect to see all sorts of lit floats during the parade, including reindeer, Santa, tractors covered in lights, and many other artful light displays.

There you have it! Our best picks for wonderfully lit Christmas experiences in and around Columbia, Tennessee. If we missed one of your favorites, please contact us and let us know. We’ll happily add it to our list.