Throughout Upstate New York, there are many opportunities to take in holiday cheer, including an array of amazing holiday light displays in cities near you! Although many of the displays showcase Christmas themes, you don’t need to celebrate Christmas to enjoy driving through beautiful lights and sipping a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter night.

Here are a few holiday light shows you don’t want to miss this season:

Buffalo

You’re in for a treat with this year’s Festival of Lights, located at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg, NY. Open in November and December, the Fairgrounds Festival of Lights includes drive-through festive light displays and a holiday walk-around featuring Santa Claus, reindeer, Santa’s Christmas Express train, and more. You can even get some holiday shopping done, grab a snack, or enjoy a sweet treat when you visit the outdoor market with a variety of local vendors. Learn more at Fairgroundsholiday.com.

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is hosting a very special edition of Gardens After Dark, featuring a Poinsettia Exhibit with sparkling lights to celebrate the holiday season. New this year, the Poinsettia Exhibit will include a brand-new installation called Dimensions, which features large reflective orbs and mirrors to bring new dimension to an already spectacular view. Experience this special event at the conservatory on select nights through the end of December. Visit BuffaloGardens.com for the details and tickets. Don't forget, AAA Members receive $5 off their Botanical Gardens membership!

If you’re looking for a more intensive tour, join the Holiday Lights Trolley. Taking place Saturdays and Sundays in December, this three-hour trolley ride comes with a tour guide, lights and holiday décor, souvenir gifts for guests, music, trivia, prizes, and more. Once you board the trolley, you’ll be off on an adventure to see the best holiday landmarks Buffalo has to offer. Visit HolidayLightTrolley.com to learn more.

For our younger visitors, check out Zoo Lights – a fun walk-through lights display located at the Buffalo Zoo! Outside, there are lights on many of the buildings, displays of different animals, and other fun and whimsical lights with the opportunity to visit the Amphibian and Reptile Center and farm to see the animals. It can get pretty cold in Buffalo in December, so be sure to stop into the Rainforest Falls area or visit a fire pit to warm up before you head over to get yummy food or visit with Santa Claus! Visit Buffalozoo.org to learn more.

Rochester

Set up along the Victor Hills golf course near Rochester, the ROC Lights holiday display is very unique because of the steep hills and narrow paths you’ll travel while following this fun show through the course and the surrounding woods. Along the mile-and-a-half driving route, you’ll pass hundreds of incredible lights displays featuring a mixture of holiday season themes and more! Visit Roclights.com for more information.

Monroe County’s Lamberton Conservatory and its holiday displays of poinsettias are a beloved local tradition dating back to 1911. The show typically features hundreds of poinsettias, representing about 20 different varieties, as well as wreaths and holiday lights. It takes place throughout the holiday season with extended hours on Friday and Sunday evenings. Call (585) 753-7270 for more information.

Central New York

Lights on the Lake in Syracuse follows a path through Onondaga Lake Park and is one of the biggest and best holiday light displays in Upstate New York! A tradition dating back more than 30 years, this drive-through route is more than two miles long. Visitors will pass hundreds of fantastic light displays. Tickets information can be found at Lightsonthelake.com. However, the trail does offer discounted ticket prices for visitors coming Monday through Friday.

In the North Country, Evans Mills Raceway Park has established a new community tradition for families with a holiday light display show! Open from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, the raceway display is a great time for visitors of all ages. Check out Evansmillsracewaypark.com for more information.

If you’re planning to visit one or more of the magical holiday light shows this season, make sure your AAA Membership has you covered for extended travel. 

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