For many in Northern Virginia, there’s a small upside to the days getting dark at 5 p.m.: holiday lights are back. By this weekend, all three of NOVA Parks’ popular lights shows will be open.
Meadowlark Botanical Garden’s Winter Walk of Lights already opened for the season yesterday (Nov. 11), while the Festival of Lights at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville and Bright Nights at Cameron Run Regional Park in the City of Alexandria will open Saturday (Nov. 14).
The Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) in Wolf Trap consists of a sparkling, and sprawling, paved, half-mile trail that displays illuminated nature-themed and animated displays. The trail is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Hot beverages are also available for purchase.
Tickets start at $19 per person, and there are promotions throughout the season for seniors, healthcare workers, teachers, military, children and other groups. The regional park has also planned a handful of “Pup Nights,” when visitors can purchase tickets for their dogs.
“The Winter Walk of Lights is illuminating the gardens for its 15th season, bringing joy to more than 110,000 visitors each year,” NOVA Parks noted in a press release.
Those who prefer to stay warm in their car can check out the Bull Run Festival of Lights, a 2.5 mile-long display of holiday and fairy tale vignettes.
While the show has been around for three decades, new displays are added every year. For this year’s “snowing” Winter Wonderland, organizers have added the event’s tallest display yet.
The popular holiday village and carnival will also return to the Centreville park (7700 Bull Run Drive), giving visitors the opportunity to ride a Ferris wheel, enjoy a bonfire with hot chocolate or s’mores, visit animals, and check out the holiday shop after touring the lights show.
For those who prefer to avoid the crowds, Monday to Thursday are the best days to visit. The weekends, as well as the week before and after the Christmas holiday, are the show’s busiest days. Advance tickets vary from $30 to $45, depending on the date, and are good for the entire vehicle.
In future years, the Festival of Lights might be even further expanded. The NOVA Parks Board of Directors adopted a budget in September that included $880,000 to fund additional displays for the light show over the next five years.
Over in Alexandria, Bright Nights at Cameron Run (4001 Eisenhower Avenue) offers a more unstructured experience for families who want to roam around the light displays.
“New this year, enjoy lighted mini golf, a scavenger hunt, a giant maze, and bring your own camera and capture a special holiday memory with Santa Claus through December 23,” NOVA Parks said in the release. “Visits and photos with Santa are free with admission to Bright Nights.”
Admission is $9 online; promotions similar to the ones at Meadowlark are offered. S’mores kits and hot drinks are also available for purchase.
All three of the shows will run until January.
