MerryHoHo

Christmas lights · Nashville, TN

Christmas lights in Nashville

Nashville's three big ones: Tennessee's largest drive-thru out in Lebanon, the Cheekwood estate lit up in the west of town, and Gaylord Opryland — free to walk through on many days, expensive to park at.

5 displays · 1 free · 1 with 2026 dates announced

Where to see them

Drive-thru shows

Paid per car, not per person, so a full car is the cheap way to do it. Weekends are the busy nights.

Drive-thru·Wilson County Fairgrounds, Lebanon

The Dancing Lights of Christmas

Tennessee's largest drive-thru light and music show, open rain or shine.

2026 season
Nov 7, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, every night including holidays
5 – 10 pm Sun–Thu, 5 – 11 pm Fri–Sat
Cost
$35 per family car, including Santa's Village and the petting zoo (2026)
Where
Ward Ag Center, 1033 Sparta Pike, Lebanon, TN 37087

Getting in and parking

  • Use the fairgrounds entrance across from Dollar General.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Weekends after Thanksgiving are very busy, Saturdays most of all, and Dec 19–23 is crowded.
  • Weeknights usually have little wait.

Checked 2026-09-23 · thedancinglightsofchristmas.com

Official site

Walk-through: gardens, zoo, parks

Mostly ticketed per person, and on foot. Check the hours before you set out.

Garden·Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood

The estate's gardens and mansion lit for the season, on timed tickets.

2025 season
Nov 21, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026 (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day)
Entry every 30 min, 4:30 – 8:30 pm; closes 10 pm
Last year's dates — this year's aren't out yet.
Cost
About $26–$32 adults; 2 and under free. Parking $5 per car for non-members (2025).

Getting in and parking

  • Parking is $5 per car for non-members. Some nights use remote parking with a shuttle.

On the map

Checked 2026-09-23 · cheekwood.org

Official site
Walk-through·OprylandFree

Christmas at Gaylord Opryland

The resort decorated for Christmas; the ICE! show is ticketed separately.

Season
Dates not published
Cost
Free

Getting in and parking

  • Parking in the official lot was $37 (valet $55) last season.
  • Eating at one of the resort's sit-down restaurants gets your parking validated.

On the map

Worth knowing

  • On some dates you have to arrive before 3 pm to see the decorations for free.

Checked 2026-09-23 · City Cast Nashville

Official site
Zoo·South Nashville

Nashville Zoo: Glow Wild

Until 2025 this was Zoolumination, a festival of over 1,000 silk lanterns. If you're searching for Zoolumination this year, Glow Wild is its replacement.

Season
Zoolumination is cancelled for 2026 because of visa problems with the event partner. The zoo is running a new light show, Glow Wild, instead — dates and prices on nashvillezoo.org.
Where
Nashville Zoo, 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

On the map

Checked 2026-09-23 · nashvillezoo.org

Official site
Walk-through·Lucky Ladd Farms, Eagleville

Holly Jolly Festival of Lights

A mile-long walking trail of lights on a farm south of the city, with characters on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Season
Runs Nov 27 – Dec 23; this year's details are released in October.
Cost
$10–$18 per person online, $17–$26 at the gate; under-2s free. Parking free.
Where
4306 Rocky Glade Rd, Eagleville, TN 37060

On the map

Worth knowing

  • Buy online at least an hour ahead — it's much cheaper than the gate. Admission ends an hour before closing.

Checked 2026-09-23 · luckyladdfarms.com

Official site

Before you go

Why some dates say 2025

Most displays announce the season in October or November. Until they do, we show last year's dates and say so, rather than guess this year's. Every card shows the day we last checked it and where the facts came from.

Santa services in the US

Christmas lights in other cities

Questions

Which Christmas lights in Nashville are free?
Christmas at Gaylord Opryland (Opryland). None of them sell tickets, but some charge for parking and the busiest neighborhoods have long lines, so check each card and go on a weeknight.
When do the Nashville light displays open this year?
So far The Dancing Lights of Christmas (Nov 7, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027, every night including holidays) have announced their 2026 dates. The rest publish in October and November; until then this page shows last year's dates, marked as such.