Holiday Lights Make Spirits Bright in the Aurora Area

Posted on 08/25/2021 by  James Cardis

From the Rotary Club of Aurora's Festival of Lights to Mooseheart Holiday Lights Display, miles of dazzling light displays offer magical holiday memories for families throughout Chicagoland this year.

The best part? You can enjoy these dazzling lights from the warmth and comfort of your car! Before and after your trip, we've got you covered with fun things to do at nearby attractions, from holiday shopping to family-friendly holiday events. Read on to plan your holiday season sightseeing in the endlessly charming communities of the Aurora Area.  

Let It Shine at Fox Valley Mall • Aurora, IL

Feel the symphony of sight and sound! Let It Shine, a drive-thru holiday light show, is proud to present its newest location at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora. Be immersed into a wonderland of over 1M lights, all synchronized to fun holiday classics. Experience the magic from the safety of your car for a fun, touchless event. There’s no denying the holiday cheer as you cruise past dazzling archways, sparkling candy canes, glowing snowmen and more illuminated installations. Tickets go on sale at the end of October. Tickets are only sold online at ShineLightShow.com. Be sure to reserve your spot as tickets sold out last season.

Let It Shine takes place Friday, November 12 through Sunday, January 9. Open seven days a week from 4:30pm to 11pm, with the last ticket being sold at the 10pm hour. 

One ticket per vehicle. No RVs, limos, or buses. Visit shinelightshow.com to learn more.

Rotary Club of Aurora's Festival of Lights at Phillips Park • Aurora, IL

A holiday tradition for fifteen years and counting, the Rotary Club of Aurora Festival of Lights in historic Phillips Park is one of the largest free outdoor holiday light displays in northern Illinois. Every year brings new displays,  The Festival of Lights is a signature winter event with unique surprises throughout, including animated arrays like the 20-foot tall "singing" Christmas tree and Santa's Toy Factory. Over 30,000 cars tour the Festival of Lights each year over the display's four week run between Thanksgiving and just after Christmas. Donations are accepted to help the Rotary Club of Aurora maintain and continue the Festival of Lights — this year, electronic donations will only be accepted at aurorafestivaloflights.com/donate. Buses are welcome, note that clearance is 13 feet, 6 inches to enter the event. 

Rotary Club of Aurora Festival of Lights takes place Friday, November 26 through Sunday, December 26. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 5 to 9pm, and Friday / Saturday 5 to 10pm. 

Important: Enter the Festival of Lights at the intersection of South Smith & 5th Avenue in Aurora, Illinois. 

Visit aurorafestivaloflights.com to learn more.

Holiday Lights at Mooseheart • North Aurora, IL

With over 80 displays over nearly two miles of gorgeous winding driveway at one of Chicagoland's largest holiday light tours, the Holiday Lights at Mooseheart is another fantastic, festive journey for you and your family in the Aurora Area. Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is a residential childcare facility located on 1,000 acres between the Aurora Area communities of North Aurora and Batavia. Mooseheart's holiday lights has attracted visitors from all across the Midwest over the years and continues to be a family favorite with creative and entertaining light shows throughout the property. For safety reasons, Santa will not be on campus this year, but be sure to drop off your letter to Santa in the Tomy Moose Mailbox! Dining options for every taste can be found in nearby North Aurora, perfect for delivery or curbside pickup—visit GoNorthAurora.com for listings. 

Mooseheart Holiday Lights opens Friday, November 26. Suggested donation is $20 per car. 

Lehnertz Ave. Christmas Display • Aurora, IL

Entering its 70th year in 2021, the Lehnertz Avenue Christmas Display has been a community tradition for generations. The free holiday drive-through tour represents the biblical Christmas story as told through an elegant collection of illuminated books, figures representing biblical figures and a manger scene. Retro whimsy is on display at Lehnertz Ave, too, with Peanuts characters and more surprises.

Lehnertz Ave. Christmas Display will open with a blessing on Sunday, December 12th and be lit from 5 to 10pm every evening until Sunday, January 2nd.

More information is available at Lehnertz Ave. Christmas Display on Facebook. 

Holiday Lights at Rich Harvest Farms • Sugar Grove, IL

One of the Top 100 U.S. golf courses is transformed into a winter wonderland every holiday season. From November 25 to December 31, Rich Harvest Farms will be glowing with the lights of over 40 different illuminated displays. Starting with the little red school house near the Granart and Dugan Road Roundabout, all the way to St. Katharine-Drexel Catholic Church, the one-mile drive down Dugan Road in Sugar Grove will take you through a veritable winter wonderland filled with all sorts of surprises. A dolphin jumping out of a pond, a reindeer taking flying lessons...you never know what you might see!