Christmas Lights in Raleigh NC: Best Triangle Holiday Light Displays (2024)

Let there be light! One of my favorite family holiday traditions is driving around to see Christmas lights in the area. And this area is a very good one! The Triangle region shines brightly when it comes to Christmas light displays. From Raleigh to Durham and Cary to Clayton, there are many lights to enjoy this year.

So, no need to go searching the web for “Christmas displays near me”, friend. I’ve got all the best local options for you right here!

Christmas Lights in Raleigh NC

If you’re wondering where to go see Christmas lights this year, Raleigh will not disappoint. There are so many displays to be experienced, with some starting as early as Thanksgiving!

Illuminate Art Walk

📍 Downtown Raleigh/Fayetteville Street
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Downtown Raleigh comes to light every holiday season with Illuminate Art Walk. Since the winter of 2020, Downtown Raleigh Alliance has brought energy to our Main Street–and beyond–with large-scale, interactive, and light-based art pieces.

Illuminate Art Walk is free to the public and self-guided.

Raleigh Christmas Lights

📍 2612 Beehnon Way, Raleigh, NC
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

This free, family-run light show is lots of fun! You’ll find this light display at 2612 Beehnon Way in Raleigh. Families should turn their radio to 90.3 FM to enjoy a playlist of holiday songs that match the light show!

You can also watch this one online at RaleighLights.com Get all the latest info from their Facebook page.

Christmas Trail on Beane Drive

📍 3200 Beane Dr. Raleigh, NC
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

This epic Christmas light display is put on by the Sutphen family. They do an incredible job and the decorations are top notch, with thousands of lights, inflatables, and more. These folks also do an awesome Halloween light show when they turn their yard into “Sutphen Manor.”

While visiting this walk through Christmas trail in Raleigh is free, the family asks for donations to St. Jude. Last year they were able to collect over $5,000 in donations to this important cause! More info

Goldman Family Lights

📍 6331 Deerview Dr, Raleigh, NC
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Another family light display in Raleigh. When you arrive, please turn off your headlights and tune your radio to 90.9 WGFL to listen to the music while watching the lights. More info

Smith Family Christmas Lights & Displays

📍 1704 Falls Church Road, Raleigh, NC
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

A charming, classic Christmas lights walk-through. You can take your own picture w/Mickey Mouse & steal a kiss under the mistletoe. Donations are accepted for Raleigh Rescue Missions. More info

Happy Land Christmas Lights

📍 5504 Huntingwood Drive, Raleigh, NC
📅 2024 Details coming soon
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

The family says that these lights twinkle in memory of Rick Moore 1986-2004 who, in his short life, always wanted them to put up “More Lights.”

Christmas Lights in Cary NC

North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival

📍 Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary, NC
📅 November 16th, 2024 – January 25th, 2025
🕠 6:00pm-10:00pm
💰 Pricing: $11-31+, Kids 2 and under are free. (Pro tip: The most affordable option is to buy date-specific tickets.)

The Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary is one of the top holiday events around the Triangle. It is absolutely gorgeous. Held at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre, this festival’s centerpiece are big, intricate paper lanterns illuminating the night. Using thousands of LED lights, the scenes created by the lanterns are extraordinary.

In addition to the stunning lantern displays, the ticketed event offers a vibrant celebration of Chinese culture, featuring nightly performances with martial arts, traditional dances, acrobatics, drum shows, and more. In past years, they’ve also had swings and other fun interactive elements for kids. More info

Gebhardt Family Lights

📍 1033 Horton’s Creek Road, Cary NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Another awesome family light show set to music! Tune into 90.3 to enjoy the holiday tunes! More info

Durham Christmas Lights

Mangum Family Christmas Lights

📍 7510 Guess Road (Durham County), Hillsborough, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Looking for Christmas lights in Durham NC? Join the Mangum Family Christmas Lights for a free drive-in light show running through the holidays until New Year’s Eve. Stay cozy in your car, tune your radio to 90.3 FM to enjoy festive music, and sing along as you watch over 100,000 lights dance in sync with the tunes! More info

Christmas Lights Apex NC

Holiday Tour of Lights

📍 Various locations around Apex
📅 December 7th – 26th, 2024
🕠 Every night 6:00 – 9:00 pm
💰 Pricing: Free!

This is a wonderful driving tour of Christmas lights in Apex. Grab some thermoses of cocoa, put on your Christmas PJs, and hop into the car for a night of family fun!

Apex homes and businesses across town volunteer to spread holiday cheer with beautiful light displays each year! The Tour of Lights provides a map with the most efficient way to see all the stops along the tour. Hop in the car, turn on your favorite holiday playlist, and enjoy the lights! More info

Rogers Family Christmas Lights

📍 700 Bay Bouquet Lane, Apex, NC
📅 November 28th, 2024 – January 1st, 2025
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

For the past 10 years, we’ve been putting up a Christmas light display in our yard. It grows each year with new things. It’s nothing fancy—just a few thousand LED lights that are synced to music, music that you can pick when you are watching the show. Tune your radio to 93.5 and pick your favorite song. Enjoy the show!

The light show runs nightly, every night from Thanksgiving thru New Years Day. More info here.

Lights on Holt

📍 1012 Holt Road, Apex, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: By donation/some nights free

The owners of this property in Apex put on a huge light show every year. While they offer some free nights throughout the season, on most evenings they ask for a minimum donation per car. This donation goes towards helping thousands of displaced war refugees from conflicts around the world as well to help animal rescue shelters here at home with the nonprofit MG Global Support Foundation, a 501(C)(3) organization. More info here.

Christmas Lights in Clayton NC

Lights on the Neuse

📍 1620 Loop Road Clayton, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Age 3 and up – $11.00 (Hayride); Age 2 and under – Free

Lights on the Neuse is a Christmas light celebration held at Boyette Family Farms in Clayton. This isn’t a drive-thru light display, but an old-fashioned hay ride through the lights. After your ride you can decorate cookies, purchase hot chocolate and other treats, and take photos in Santa’s sleigh.

More info

Wake Forest Christmas Lights

Piper Lights

📍 5725 Fixit Shop Road, Wake Forest, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Piper Lights is a free, drive-thru Christmas light display in Wake Forest. This is a family-operated light show, and now covers 7 acres. Follow their Facebook page for more info.

Hill Ridge Farms Festival of Lights

📍 703 Tarboro Road Youngsville, NC 27596
📅 November 28th- December 29th, 2024
🕠 5:30pm-9:00pm
💰 Pricing: $20 Cash per vehicle $23 Credit/Debit

Take a magical drive through a winter wonderland from the comfort of your vehicle. Enjoy over a million lights and holiday themed displays and characters
as you travel through the farm. No advance tickets or reservations. More info.

Christmas Lights Chapel Hill NC

P&C Holiday Lights

📍 38 Bennett Ridge Road, Chapel Hill, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Get ready for a holiday experience that will light up your night! P&C Holiday Lights brings Christmas magic to life with dazzling lights dancing perfectly to festive tunes. Whether you watch outside or stay cozy in your car, just tune your radio to 101.3 and enjoy the show!

✨ Special Treats: On select nights, Santa himself makes an appearance! And don’t miss the song that sets off a surprise snow shower—because what’s Christmas without a little magic? More info here

Lights on Birch Hollow

📍 Birch Hollow Rd., Chapel Hill, NC – Brier Chapel Neighborhood
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Based on their videos, this holiday light show in Chapel Hill looks super fun! More info

Christmas Lights in Fuquay-Varina

Holland Road Lights

📍 409 Holland Road, Fuquay Varina North Carolina
📅 November 29th, 2024 – January 2nd, 2025
🕠 Dusk (5 or 5:30-10:30pm)
💰 Pricing: Free!

A synchronized display of 35k+ Christmas lights and a New Years Eve light show.
Named a top 30 light show in NC! Turn your radio dial to 90.9FM to hear music synchronized to match with the lights, including a special New Year’s Eve dance party! More info here.

Christmas on the Farm at Naylor Family Farm

📍 6016 US-401 Fuquay-Varina, NC
📅 Opens November 30th, 2024
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: TBA

Naylor Farm is a joy in every season, and Christmas is no exception! Your kids will love the cozy hay ride around the farm while taking in the sights of beautiful Christmas lights. Don’t forget to grab some hot cocoa and goodies in the old fashioned gift shop! More info

More Holiday Light Displays in the Triangle

Lake Myra Lights – Wendell

📍 Corner of 3rd St and Cypress St, Wendell, NC, 27591
📅 November 27th – December 31st, 2024 | 5:30pm-10:00pm;
SANTA Saturday nights from November 30th-December 21st 7:00pm-9:00pm!
💰 Pricing: Free!

One of the Triangle area’s most beloved light displays is found in Wendell. This spectacular drive-in-style light show, crafted by the talented Williams family of Wendell, features over 400,000 lights perfectly synchronized to festive tunes. Each year, the family expands and refines this dazzling display, making it a must-see tradition. Visitors can watch from a designated viewing area—either parked or standing—with shows lasting 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the season. Walkways also offer a chance to get up close to some of the largest displays. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome to join the festivities!

More info – It is recommended to check their Facebook page before coming out!

Holidays on Hemby – Morrisville

📍 1001 Hemby Ridge Lane, Morrisville, NC
📅 TBA
🕠 TBA
💰 Pricing: Free!

Holidays on Hemby is such a unique display! Not only does this family deck their house out with lights and Christmas inflatables, they also have an elaborate train display! This is a walk through display that kids will love. More info on their Facebook page

Granville Christmas Farm – Oxford

📍 4534 US-15, Oxford, NC 27565
📅 November 29th, 2024 – December 31st, 2024
🕠 See calendar below
💰 Pricing: $20 : 1-4 passengers per vehicle; $35 : 5-8 passengers per vehicle; $45 : 9 or more passengers per vehicle

A drive through Christmas wonderland! What runs in Halloween as Granville Haunt Farm transforms into a holiday landscape after Thanksgiving. More info here.

Meadow Lights – Benson

📍 4546 Godwin Lake Road, Benson, North Carolina 27504
📅 Nov. 22nd – Dec. 31st, 2024
🕠 5:00pm-10:00pm
💰 Pricing: There is no charge to see the lights. All lights are visible from the road or parking lot. However the train takes you through the main field of lights and gets you much closer.  Any age can ride.

Train Ride $3 per person
Carousel $3 per person
Visit Santa for free, Pictures are $8

Meadow Lights in Benson is the largest and oldest Christmas attraction in Eastern North Carolina! Not only is it a magnificent display of lights covering 30 acres, they also have train rides, an old-fashioned carousel, a candy store, and visits with Santa!

They open each year the Friday before Thanksgiving! Lights, train and carousel will be open every night until December 31st. Santa will be visiting every night until December 24th. The store will be open every night as long as we have candy in stock. More info here.