Holiday lights shine across Columbus this weekend
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Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo features millions of LEDs. Photo: Courtesy of Experience Columbus
Get ready for the holidays, because Columbus lights up this weekend as the festive season gets underway.
Why it matters: Central Ohio goes all out for the holidays — from downtown bars to public attractions, everyone is capitalizing on seasonal cheer as the region continues to grow into a tourism destination.
🦌 The biggest of them all: Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo.
The intrigue: Each year, around 400,000 visitors flock to the zoo to see its famed Wildlights, which opens Friday.
- The zoo is illuminated by millions of LED lights, with animated musical light shows, appearances by zoo characters, live music and activities.
📍 If you go: 5-9pm Sunday-Thursday, 5-10pm Friday-Saturday through Jan. 4.
- Zoo admission $20-36. Kids under 3 free!
- Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Be prepared: With Wildlights comes legendary traffic issues on the north side.
- Last December, chaos ensued when more than 25,000 visitors took advantage of a particularly nice Sunday.
- Our tips for avoiding Wildlights traffic
Other holiday highlights:
✨ Holiday Light Tours
- Butch Bando's Fantasy of Lights at Alum Creek State Park.
- Christmas Lights Ohio at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
- Conservatory Aglow at the Franklin Park Conservatory.
- Wanderlights downtown, from Town Street to Bicentennial Park.
- WonderLight's Christmas at the Hartford Fairgrounds.
🎄 COSI Season of Celebrations: The museum transforms into a "spectacular winter wonderland" headlined by the Forest of Community Trees and a holiday focus in the classic Progress exhibition.
- Nov. 22-Jan. 4.
🏛️ Statehouse Holiday Festival: The Statehouse's annual tree lighting includes a visit from Santa, dancing and music.
- Dec. 4.
☃️ Columbus Winterfair: The Ohio Expo Center hosts this annual holiday fine art and craft fair.
- Dec. 5-7.
❄️ WinterFest: Bicentennial Park celebrates the season with live music, food trucks and seasonal craft beer that takes advantage of downtown's DORA.
- Dec. 6.
🎨 Holiday Hop: The festive version of the Short North's monthly Gallery Hop. High Street closes for pedestrians only, with vendors and live performances.
- Dec. 6.
🕯️ Village Lights: German Village's brick streets light up with luminaries during the neighborhood's annual celebration of local shops and food.
- Dec. 7.