The 5 best holiday light displays in Columbus
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The light display on Westbrook Village Drive. Photo: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios
👋 Alissa here. I recently poured myself a thermos of hot chocolate and spent an evening exploring the best holiday light displays central Ohio has to offer.
👏 The recommendations from Axios Columbus readers were awesome. Clark Griswold would be so proud of your enthusiasm for exterior illumination.
My favorite spot: Westbrook Village Drive, Columbus. This display synched to music on 93.9 FM is a collaboration of multiple houses on the Southwest Side.
- The impressive display is huge without feeling overwhelming.
- Bring canned food to donate to charity in a plastic bin at the curb.
Other highlights:
- 3100 block, Menzola Drive, Columbus: I'll always have a soft spot for my neighborhood's hotspot. Tune into 89.3 FM for a lengthy loop of fun and contemporary music, including a Black Sabbath parody and Brendon Urie's take on "Into the Unknown" from "Frozen 2."
- 2000 block, Guilford Road, Upper Arlington: This tale of two homes pits a symmetrical, postcard-worthy display across the street from something a bit more abstract.
- To quote one Reddit user: "Every Christmas decoration ever exploded on to their yard."
- 400 block, Olde Mill Drive, Westerville: A reader calls this the "grand finale house" and I can see why. I enjoyed the red and white arches over the sidewalks.
- Bonus points to the neighbor with an inflatable Hank from "Finding Dory." I have to get one of those.
- 600 block, Old Coach Road, Westerville: Another music show (90.1 FM), but you can control this one from your car on its website. Adorable light bulbs sing atop the garage and a realistic projection of Santa peeks out of a window.
- Canned food donations are accepted.
Be smart: I saw all five spots in a three-hour round trip one evening, but I didn't stay for the entirety of all three music shows. Plan accordingly, as most displays end between 10-11pm.