8 light shows to check out this holiday season in the Columbus-Phenix City area
Homes and businesses throughout Columbus and Phenix City pull out all the stops when it comes to Christmas light shows.
Whether it’s a neighborhood light show centered around a single house or a large annual event at Callaway Gardens, the area is ripe with opportunities to ring in the holiday season.
Here’s a list of holiday light shows in the Chattahoochee Valley.
If there is a light show in the community that should be added to this list, email the information to jmixon@ledger-enquirer.com
Fantasy in Lights
This annual event hosted by Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain is 45 minutes from Columbus. Millions of lights are included in the displays, which a visitor can view in two ways: inside their car or an open-air trolley.
- Location: Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain.
- Contact: 844-512-3826
- Dates: Nov. 13-Jan. 3.
- Cost: Varies. Visit Fantasy in Lights’ ticket pricing page for more info.
Notable: Visitors can shop at the Christmas Village, which features food, hot cocoa, holiday shopping and more.
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare’s Light the Spirit
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare is hosting Light the Spirit from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 7 outside the Butler Pavilion, 2300 Manchester Expressway.
Activities include a drive-thru visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus (6-8 p.m.), tree lighting ceremony and program (7 p.m.) and a drive-in movie, The Polar Express (7:15-9 p.m.).
- Location: 2300 Manchester Expressway
- Date: Dec. 7
- Cost: Free
- Notable: Families are asked to remain in their car at all times and social distance/wear a mask if visiting the restroom.
Listentotheselights Smart Lighting Tech
Located in Hamilton, this light show encompasses a single house and its large front yard. It’s located in the Sweetbay subdivision and runs on weekends.
It’s also just five miles from Callaway Gardens, so the show makes a perfect 1-2 combo with Fantasy in Lights.
- Location: 766 Sweetbay Parkway in Hamilton
- Dates: Nov. 29-New Year’s
- Cost: Free
- Notable: The show is accepting monetary donations to benefit the Focus Ministries food bank.
Ludy’s Christmas Light Spectacular
After a one-year hiatus, the Ludy’s Christmas Light Spectacular is back operational for the 2021 season.
This year’s show features over 500,000 lights. The spectacle is held together by over 10 miles of extension cords, and it was featured on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight in 2014.
The show can be enjoyed from your car by tuning to FM 90.1, or visitors can park and take in the experience from the outdoors.
- Location: 5784 Ironstone Drive
- Contact: Visit the show’s official website for a contact form.
- Dates: Thanksgiving-New Year’s Eve.
- Hours: 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
- Notable: This year’s show features a 30-foot Ferris wheel made almost entirely from recycled scrap metal, according to the show’s website. The Ferris wheel is covered in over 4,000 LED lights.
Uptown Tree Trail
The Uptown Tree Trail was founded by the 2016 Columbus State University Servant Leadership Program’s senior class. Guests can walk the trail, enjoy the decorations and attend special Uptown Tree Trail events throughout December.
- Location: Broadway median between 10th and 11th Streets.
- Contact: uptowntreetrail@gmail.com
- Dates: Begins Dec. 3.
- Hours: Trees are lit from dusk until midnight.
- Cost: Free
- Notable: Parking available along Broadway, neighboring streets and free garages.
Mixon’s Christmas Land
See Christmas lights and designs at a massive scale at Mixon’s Christmas Land in Phenix City. This display runs every night unless it’s raining. This is just one of two Christmas light displays the Mixon family runs, the other being Mixon’s Magical Christmas.
- Location: 173 Summerbrook Loop, Phenix City
- Dates: Thanksgiving-New Year’s Day
- Cost: Free
- Notable: The location is the same as years past — the road just has a different name.
WinterFest 2021
Columbus State University will host WinterFest 2021 on Nov. 30, with the festival returning to in-person operation after a drive-through 2020 event.
Activities include local performers, holiday scenes and arts and crafts.
- Location: Columbus State University, 4225 University Ave.
- Contact: winterfest@columbusstate.edu
- Dates: Nov. 30
- Hours: 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
- Cost: Free
- Notable: Lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.
Lights on Blueridge and Reaper’s Island
Lights on Blueridge and Reaper’s Island, formerly Lights on Glenview, is a computer-controlled animated light display, synchronized to holiday tunes. It features over 40,000 LED and LED pixel lighting.
- Location: 6016 Blueridge Drive
- Dates: Thanksgiving-New Year’s Day
- Hours: 6 p.m.-11 p.m. daily, weather permitting
- Cost: Free
- Notable: The show is accepting donations to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of West Georgia.
This story was originally published November 30, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
