HOLIDAY LIGHTS
November 28 - December 21, 2025
5:30-9:00 p.m.
Wednesdays-Sundays Only
(Closed Mondays &Tuesdays)
Walking Trail:
Carlisle Visitor Center
12882 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange, OH 44050
Drive-Through:
Carlisle Equestrian Center
13630 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange, OH 44050
Free | No Registration Required
Celebrate the holidays this year with our festive Holiday Lights displays! The mile-long drive-through portion at the Equestrian Center (13630 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange) features our classic light displays that you can enjoy from the comfort of your vehicle. Or, enjoy a festive ½-mile walk on our decorated trail on Wednesday-Saturday evenings at the Carlisle Visitor Center (12882 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange). However, on Sundays, walkers will not be permitted along the trail to allow for Little Green Choo rides. Each night of the event, there will be cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn, etc., available for purchase inside the visitor center, courtesy of Friends of Metro Parks. We will also host a “Wildlife Giving Tree” at the Carlisle Visitor Center, featuring items needed to care for the animals at Carlisle and other LCMP facilities. Additional activities such as Santa visits, balloon twisting, and a Santa gift shop will also be offered on select nights (see additional Holiday Lights activity listings below).
Admission to this program is free, but visitors are asked to bring a nonperishable food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank. There will be a donation station at the beginning of the driving display at the Carlisle Reservation Equestrian Center, at the Carlisle Reservation Visitor Center inside the Black River Room, and at the beginning of the Children’s Nature Discovery Trail.
As always, outdoor programs are weather-dependent. For more information, call (440) 458-5121.
Lorain County Metro Parks would like to thank their Holiday Lights sponsors:
Holiday Lights Activities:
Little Green Choo Rides
Sundays, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14, & 21 | 5:30-9:00 pm
Children’s Nature Discovery Trail
Santa Nights
Thursdays, Dec. 11 & 18 | 6:00-8:30 pm
Carlisle Visitor Center
Balloon Twisting
Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10, & 17 | 6:30-8:30 pm
Carlisle Visitor Center
Santa Shop - Courtesy of Friends of the Metro Parks
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays, Nov. 28 & 28, & Dec. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, & 20 | 5:30-8:30 pm
Carlisle Visitor Center
LIGHTS ON THE LAKE
Nov. 29-Jan. 7 | 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Lakeview Park, 1800 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, OH 44052
Free | No Registration Required
Experience a FREE lakefront drive-thru lighted holiday display at Lakeview Park! Enjoy “Lights on the Lake” with classic holiday scenes, festive décor, and thousands of twinkling lights spanning this 26-acre park. This after-hours event is intended for drive-thru only. You will not be permitted to exit your vehicle. Lights turn on at dusk and stay lit until 9 p.m. each night. We hope you find an opportunity to enjoy this cheerful and safe holiday activity!
Santa Nights at Lakeview Park
Nov. 29, & Dec. 6, 7, 12, & 13 | 5:00-7:00 pm
Celebrate the holiday season with this annual favorite! Drive through Lakeview Park to see all the magical light displays and visit with Santa at one of our free Santa Nights inside the Sunset Terrace for some hot chocolate, cookie decorating, crafts, and a photo opportunity! No registration required!
‘NIGHT TREE’ STORY TIME
Thur., Dec. 4 | 5:00-6:00 p.m. or 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Henry’s Barn, 46223 U.S. Rt. 20, Oberlin
$3/person
Join us for a new holiday tradition where we will hear the story "Night Tree" by Eve Bunting, then create ornaments made of food for wildlife. We will hike outside to find and decorate our very own Night Tree, then head back to the barn for hot cocoa and cookies.
Registration is required by Thursday, December 4. Cost is only $3 per person!
SANTA’S WARM WISHES LUNCH
Sat., Dec. 6 | 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Miller Nature Preserve, 2739 Center Rd., Avon
$18/person | Registration Required
Celebrate the holiday season with Miller Nature Preserve at our 'Santa's Warm Winter Wishes Lunch' family event, complete with holiday-inspired decorations, activities & games, and a LIVE Santa photo op for all ages!
Participants of ALL ages are required to register to attend. Register and pay $18 for each participant 3 years and up by Nov. 30. Additional free admission is available for those 2 years and under. Pricing includes lunch, activities, take-home treats for children, a visit with Santa, and admission to the Conservatory. Activities and/or treats may not be suitable for our youngest visitors; parental discretion is required.
LUNCH MENU: The Pasta Bar lunch features two types of pasta, served with both marinara and Alfredo sauce, as well as grilled chicken, meatballs, breadsticks, and a salad. Chicken fingers and mac and cheese. Cupcakes will be served for dessert.
Participants must bring their own device for taking photos. Space is limited, so register today! To register, click the button below. To register by phone, call (440) 458-5121 or (440) 937-0764.
OLD-FASHIONED HOLIDAY
Dec. 6 & 7 | 3:00- 6:30 p.m.
Vermilion River Reservation (Mill Hollow side), 51211 North Ridge Rd., Vermilion
$5/person | Register by Dec. 4
Get in the holiday spirit with some old-fashioned fun for the whole family at Vermilion River Reservation! Step back in time to the 1860s as you tour the candlelit Benjamin Bacon House Museum, where members of the Brownhelm Historical Association portray Brownhelm residents celebrating the holidays. Outside the Bacon House, by the warmth of their campfire, enjoy visiting with re-enactors as they cook and share Bacon and Brownhelm history. Go on a scenic horse-drawn carriage ride through Mill Hollow’s pretty, wintry backdrop and relax & roast treats around outdoor firepits (while supplies last). Continue the holiday festivities inside the cozy Carriage Barn, where The Friends of Metro Parks will be selling light refreshments (cash only) and listen to live music as you enjoy the warmth and glow of our grand fireplace and 14-foot-tall Christmas tree.
The program fee includes one carriage ride and the museum tour. Pre-register EACH person in your group for a 12-minute museum tour time-block (limit of 12 people per tour). No walk-ins will be accepted. Visitors must pre-register by Dec. 4 by clicking the button below or by calling (440) 458-5121. On the event day, please check in at the Carriage Barn lobby, where you will receive your Carriage Ride ticket to be used either before or after your scheduled museum tour. Outside activities are weather-dependent. For questions, contact the Carriage Barn at 440-967-7310.
HOLIDAY HYGGE CRAFT & COCOA
Thur., Dec. 11 | 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Miller Nature Preserve, 2739 Center Rd., Avon
Free | Register by Dec. 9
Take a break from the holiday hustle & bustle and experience the Danish art of Hygge at our special craft & cocoa program! Enjoy the warmth and glow of our beautiful Orchid Room! Then, relax, sip, and create holiday crafts to decorate your home or give as gifts. This program is geared toward ages 6 and up. This is a free program; adults must accompany the child. Registration is required by Dec. 9. Space is limited! Registered participants can drop-in anytime between 2:00-4:00pm.
Hygge (pronounced "hoo-guh") is a Danish cultural concept and lifestyle emphasizing coziness, comfort, and contentment, fostering a feeling of well-being through simple pleasures and connection with others.
SANTA LUNCH AT LAKEVIEW
Sat., Dec. 13 | 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Lakeview Park, 1800 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, OH 44052
$18/person | Registration Required
Join Santa for a Holiday, fun-filled afternoon at Lakeview Park! Tickets are required for everyone attending: $18 per person (ages 3 and up), and children 2 and under are free. The event includes a pasta bar lunch, cupcake decorating, one family photo with Santa, crafts, and activities for kids.
Pre-registration is required, call 440-458-5121 for tickets and information. Space is limited.
ELF TOY WORKSHOP
Sun., Dec. 14 | 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Wellington Reservation, 535 Jones Rd., Wellington
$15/child (under 3 are free)
This special holiday event will allow children to learn how to build toys from the experts- Santa’s elves! Each child will make three toys from the instruction of Santa’s elves and will be able to write a letter to Santa to be taken back to the North Pole. At the end of the event, cookies and cocoa will be served. The cost is $15 per child (ages 3-12). Please register only the child, not the adult caregiver who will be attending with the child. Please limit one caregiver per child. We are allowing one caregiver per child so that each child can have an adult supervising and assisting them with the building of their toys.
CHRISTMAS TREE STRING ART CLASS
Sat., Dec. 20 | 1:00-3:30 p.m.
Vermilion River Reservation, Mill Hollow, 51211 North Ridge Rd., Vermilion
$12/ person| Register by Dec. 17
Create a string art masterpiece! We will be creating a simple Christmas tree just in time for the holidays! Supplies included. Brief instructions will be given at the beginning of class, followed by participants working at their own pace. Program is for ages 6 and up. Registration is $12/person and is required by Dec. 17. Register by clicking the button below or calling (440) 458-5121.
SANTA SCAVENGER HUNT
Sun., Dec. 21 | 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
French Creek Nature Center, 4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village
Free | No Registration Required
The hunt for Santa's gift bag begins! Drop in to the French Creek Nature Center for a Santa Scavenger Hunt, where you'll search through the Nature Center and one of our trails looking for Santa and some of his magical friends. Find all the items and win a prize from Santa's gift bag!