It’s the most wonderful season of all! From sparkling lights to tree lighting ceremonies to carriage rides and ballet performances, Central Ohio loves to celebrate.
I’ve put together 18 ideas for your family-friendly holiday bucket list
As always, make sure you check social media and/or websites before planning your event. Things can change day to day.
Widlights at Columbus Zoo
- November 18 – Member Night
- 5PM – 9PM
- Complimentary Cookies and Hot Chocolate
- Tumbler Special – Family Four Pack of Widlights Souvenir Tumblers $32 + tax. Enjoy FREE hot chocolate and drip coffee refills all evening and $1.99 refills throughout the rest of the Wildlights season
- November 19 – January 2 (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)
- Sunday – Thursday, 5PM – 9PM
- Friday – Saturday, 5PM – 10PM
- December 3 – Wildights Stuff the Truck Food Drive
- Every guest bringing in 6 non-perishable for items to the zoo will receive ONE FREE admission to Wildlights this night only. You can also show one of the cans you are donating at the parking booth attendant and receive FRE parking. They will be collecting cans as early as 10AM.
Winterfest at Scioto Mile
- Saturday, December 4 from 11 AM – 4PM at Bicentennial Park
- 233 Civic Center Drive, Columbus, OH 43215
- WinterFest is open to all ages, and admission is FREE!
- Presented by Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, the 4th WinterFest is a celebration of the season featuring local and national musical acts, seasonal craft beer and cocktails along with favorite dishes from Columbus food trucks.
- Nationally recognized Los Angeles-based musician Absofacto will headline the Bicentennial Park stage.
- Local artists Honey and Blue and New Basics Brass Band round out the day’s performances.
Website | Facebook Event
Conservatory Aglow
- November 20 – January 9 from 5PM – 9PM
- It’s strongly recommended that all guests, including members, reserve their tickets in advance. Many nights will sell out.
- Special engagement rates are in effect for Conservatory Aglow.
- The Conservatory will close to the public at 4pm before Conservatory Aglow begins at 5pm.
- Conservatory Aglow, presented by American Electric Power Foundation with lighting partner Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation, transforms the gardens into a wonderland of lights.
- The outdoor Conservatory experience will be glowing and magical thanks to thousands of lights presented in stunning displays. Visitor favorites—like the musical light show and Gingerbread House—return to accompany brand new light displays including a reimagined Topiary Collection. Entertainers and musicians will perform in the gardens on select evenings to enhance the experience.
- On December 18 and 19, see Santa and two live reindeer out in the gardens. Visitors will also be able to decorate a packaged sugar cookie ($2 per cookie).
Website
BB Fantasy of Lights
A magical 3 mile drive thru light show located at Alum Creek State Park Campground. The original drive through light show! Serving Central Ohio’s family traditions for 22 years and one of our favorite holiday events of the year.
- November 19 – January 2
- Longer wait times can be expected on Fridays, Saturdays and the week of Christmas.
- 3311 South Old State Road, Delaware, OH 43015
- Sunday-Thursday 5:30pm – 9:00pm
- Friday and Saturday 5:30pm – 10:00pm
- Monday-Thursday (weekday discount): $20 /// Friday, Saturday and Sunday: $30
- Limos, Motorhomes and Motor Coaches up to 30 people: $60
- Buses and Large Motor Coaches: $100
- More info on pricing here
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Blog Post from our Visit Last Year
State Auto Christmas Corner
State Auto’s Christmas Corner, including its historic life-sized Nativity display, has returned to Downtown. In 1931, State Auto’s founder, Bob Pein, began decorating the company’s downtown Columbus, Ohio, headquarters building as a “Christmas gift to the community.” From a rooftop Santa Town with thousands of lights and hundreds of Christmas trees, to the current display which includes a life-sized Nativity scene, State Auto’s Christmas Corner is recognized around the world for its beauty and attention to artistic and historic detail.
- 518 E Broad St Columbus, OH 43215
- December 1 – Christmas Corner Lighting featuring the Columbus Children’s Choir
- The holiday season in downtown Columbus officially kicks off with the lighting of Christmas Corner and a performance by the Columbus Children’s Choir.
- 5:30 PM – 6 PM
- Facebook Event
- Free Admission
They’re still working on official details. Will update as soon as I see a definite start/end date.
Website | Facebook
See the Huntington Holiday Train at Main Library
Choo-Choo! The Huntington Holiday Train is returning for tits 11th year on display at the Main Library Downtown. Bring your family to enjoy this awe-inspiring 600 square food holiday tradition – it runs on 280 feet of track around a 6-foot-tall cathedral, an 8-foot-tall castle and a waterfall that pumps 600 gallons an hour!
- Main Library – 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH
- November 21 – January 9
- Monday – Thursday 9AM – 7PM
- Friday – Saturday 9AM – 6PM
- Sunday – 1PM – 5PM (Double check before going because they had mentioned closing the libraries on Sunday due to staffing issues)
- There is a parking garage attached to the library and the first hour is FREE.
The Nutcracker Ballet
BalletMet The Nutcracker is a favorite holiday tradition in Columbus. The tale of the imaginative Clara, the nutcracker who turns into a prince, the Mouse King and the Sugarplum Fairy, will feature a large cast including BalletMet’s professional dancers from both its companies – BalletMet and BalletMet 2, along with 152 students from the BalletMet Academy. Each performance will have more than 122 characters onstage – including academy students in the roles of pages, party children, mice, and soldiers performing alongside BalletMet’s renowned professionals.
- December 10 – 26
- Ohio Theatre – 39 E State St, Columbus, OH 43215
- Run Time Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes
Website
WonderLight’s Christmas
The 2021 season of WonderLight’s Christmas has a brand NEW LOCATION! Their dazzling light display is now proudly hosted by Hartford Fairgrounds in Croton, Ohio! WonderLight’s Christmas light show is synchronized to traditional and newer, rocking music, played through your car stereo. Come see shooting stars, floating snowflakes, dancing candy canes and lollipops, giant Christmas trees, and (a crowd favorite) enchanting drive-through tunnels of lights!
- November 12 – January 9
- Monday – Thursday, 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM
- Friday – Sunday, 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM
- Online reservations required, NO GATE SALES
- Buy tickets here
Website | Facebook
Holiday Lights at the Scioto Mile
- November 24 – January 3
- Scioto Mile – Civic Center Dr Columbus, OH 43215
- Located in the heart of downtown Columbus, the Scioto Mile is an urban oasis comprised of more than 145 acres of lush parkland. Stretching along riverfront from the vibrant Arena District to the natural beauty of the Whittier Peninsula, the Scioto Mile connects downtown to the Scioto River through an integrated system of parks, boulevards, bikeways and pedestrian paths.
- Parking – There are ample meter parking, surface lots, and parking garages located in the area. Recommend parking is located on the southeast corner of Front St. and Rich St. or in the Columbus Commons parking garage located at the Southwest corner of Third St. and Rich St. Garages offer hourly, daily and monthly rates that vary depending on location and daily activities.
- Looking for a dinner option? Milestone 229 is right in the heart of it all, just in front of the fountains.
Website
Columbus Commons Holiday Lights
Come see more than 400,000 LED lights dazzle in the park, thanks to a partnership with the American Electric Power Foundation. Enjoy the free, self-guided display with family and friends as a way to get in the holiday spirit this season. With six acres of space, we’ve got plenty of room to spread out and keep your distance from other visitors.
- November 19 – January 5
- Dusk until 11 PM
Looking for a place for dinner? Check out Nosh on High, BurgerIM, Condado or The Goat. They are all less than one block away.If you don’t mind walking just a bit further, 4th street has great restaurants like Dirty Frank’s, Mikey’s Late Night Slice, Hadley’s and just around the corner from there Pecan Penny’s and The Walrus.
Lights of Glenross
Glenross is a neighborhood where over 300 houses are choreographed to your favorite Christmas music played on 94.1 FM.
- Conveniently located in Delaware, Ohio, a short trip north of Columbus. It’s easiest to check out this map on their website for exact locations and entrance information.
- Shows begin Thanksgiving day!
- 5pm-9pm Sunday-Thursday
- 5pm-11pm Friday & Saturday
- Try out their scavenger hunt! You can get details here.
Website | Facebook
Tree Lighting Ceremonies around Town
- Dublin Tree Lighting
- Thursday, December 2
- Grab a cup of hot chocolate and experience Dublin’s Tree Lighting, featuring Santa and other special guests. A display of 40,000 sparkling LED lights will illuminate Coffman Park. Residents are encouraged to drive down Coffman Park Drive to see the lights and the City’s 30-foot illuminated tree.
- Website
- Gahanna Holiday Lights Celebration
- Gahanna’s unforgettable annual Holiday Lights Celebration promises one magical afternoon of free family fun for all ages! Held in the beautiful Creekside District, the event will feature a holiday stage with live entertainment, the tree lighting, a parade, AND Santa arriving by firetruck! It’s a great way to spend some quality time with those you love to bring in the holiday season!
- Sunday, November 21, 4-6PM
- Facebook Event
- Grandview Holiday in the Heights
- Tuesday, December 7, 5:30PM – 8:00 PM
- Website
- Hilliard Annual Tree Lighting
- First Sunday of December, 4 – 6:30PM
- Website
- Powell
- Saturday, December 4, 12PM – 7PM
- Photos with Santa & Mrs. Claus – 12:30-5:30 p.m. Municipal Building East Room – Register here
- Holiday Market presented by the Powell Chamber of Commerce – 12-7 p.m. Municipal Building
- Holidays in Powell Experience Packs – Register here
- Tree Lighting Ceremony & Holiday Concert – 6 p.m. Village Green Park
- Enjoy a holiday concert presented by the Powell Community Band immediately following the ceremony.
- Website
- Westerville Tree Lighting
- Friday, December 3, 7PM
- Westerville City Hall, 21 S. State St.
- Website
- Worthington Holiday Open House and Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Sunday, November 28, 12PM – 6PM
- Bring the family to enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season, including, horse-drawn carriage rides, live music and a photo opportunity with Santa. Local retailers will be offering special promotions and sidewalk sales. Beginning at 5pm, activities also begin on the southeast Village Green, prior to the 5:30 tree lighting celebration.
- Website
Dickens at Ohio Village
Bring your family to the 19th century holiday celebration and see Charles Dickens’s festive vision of Christmas come to life!
- Meet and interact with Ohio Village residents to learn how they celebrate the holiday season.
- Interact with Scrooge, Jacob Marley and other characters from Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”.
- Enjoy music and dance of the period and partake in various activities in the village buildings.
Buy tickets here
- November 27 – December 19
- Ohio Village – 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43211
- Saturday 5:30–9 PM and Sunday Noon–5 PM
- Ohio History Connection Member Pricing: $11/Adult Member; $7/Youth Member; Free/Child (3 &under)
- General Admission: $16/Adult; $12/Youth (4–12); Free/Child (3 &under)
Website | Facebook Event
Easton’s Grand Illumination
Kick off the holiday season… the Easton way! Festivities will begin at 6PM around the Center and continue throughout the evening with live music, fun for the family, costumed-characters and more bringing holiday cheer! No matter where you are, take your eyes to the sky at 7PM and watch as over two-million lights simultaneously illuminate Easton for the season. Don’t miss the special holiday trees on Town Square, at the Central Park Fountain, and in The Yard in the New District!
- Friday, November 19
- 6PM – 9PM
- Free Admission
Website | Facebook Event
$5 Holiday Classic Film Series at Marcus Theatres
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Marcus Theatres wants to celebrate it with you! Bring the whole family to the theatre this December 3 thru 16 to see classic holiday films, back on the big screen! Tickets are only $5.
Check times and dates here
12 Elves of Dublin Scavenger Hunt
Make your way to 12 Historic Dublin spots to find each elf and get a stamp! When your kiddo finds the elf at each stop, they will get a little prize. Collect them all and return your completed card before December 23rd to be entered to win the grand prize basket.
- December 1 – December 23
- 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Free to Participate
- Pick up your entry card and begin your hunt at any of the participating businesses.
Website | Facebook Event
Take a Roadtrip to Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill
For 32 years Clifton Mill has celebrated the Christmas season in a very special way. Our light display, featured in Midwest Living and Ohio Magazine, is one of the country’s finest with over 4 million lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees and bridges. There is even a 100 foot “waterfall” of twinkling lights. The flip of one switch turns all the lights on at once transforming night into a fantastical winter wonderland which includes a Miniature Village, a Santa Claus Museum , a Toy Collection and a spectacular synchronized lights and music show that features the old Covered Bridge. Every night until the night before Christmas Eve you can peek into Santa’s Workshop to see a live Santa at work and then, every 15 minutes or so, watch him check his list and go up the chimney to load his sleigh.
- November 26 – December 30
- Located in Clifton – 40 miles SW of Columbus – 75 Water St, Clifton, OH 45316
- Gates open every day at 5 pm, the lights come on at 6 pm. Gates close at 9 pm; lights go off 30 minutes after gates close. On Christmas Eve, Christmas we close at 8 pm and New Year’s Eve we are closed.
- Admission is $10 per person for everyone age 4 and older. Children 3 and under get in Free!
- Every night EXCEPT Christmas and New Year’s Eve they serve Hot Dogs, BBQ Pork Sandwich, Soup, Cornbread, Hot Chocolate, Cookies, Pie, Popcorn, Soft Drinks.
- Monday through Thursday is MUCH less crowded. Saturday is the MOST CROWDED.
Website
