We’re never at a loss for things to do around here and the Holiday events in Columbus do not disappoint!
If you’re looking for holiday things to do in Columbus over Winter Break or if you’re in need of a healthy dose of festivity to get into the Holiday Spirit, here are 7 holiday and Christmas events around Columbus that are guaranteed to put you in a festive mood!
All info is being updated for the 2024 holiday season! Please continue to check back!
1. Conservatory Aglow at Franklin Park Conservatory
- Dates: November 23, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Hours: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM nightly, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays
- The Conservatory will be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Where: 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, Oh 43203
- Phone: 614-715-8000
- Website and Tickets
- Related: 5 Holiday Trains in Columbus
Franklin Park Conservatory does not disappoint when it comes to creating a festive atmosphere! Conservatory Aglow offers special holiday decorations, live performances and special evening hours at Franklin Park Conservatory.
Throughout the season live music and special events are scheduled and the Conservatory is decorated for the holidays. New in 2024, there will be a 90’s nostalgic dance party and the Ahlum & Arbor Arctic Terrace.
Also, make sure not to miss the gingerbread competition beginning in December and the Paul Busse Garden Railway!
This annual holiday show extends inside the Conservatory, and outside in the Children’s Garden and the Grand Mallway. Keep an eye out for a life-sized gingerbread house, ornament trees and the rainbow tunnel!
There is a special engagement rate for this event and members receive 50% off. Reserving tickets in advance is strongly recommended. Access Family Members and families participating in SNAP, EBT, WIC and Medicaid can qualify for $3 Special Engagement Rates.
2. Wildlights at Columbus Zoo
- Dates: November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Hours: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Sundays – Thursdays, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Fridays and Saturdays (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day)
- Where: 4850 Powell Rd., Powell, OH 43065
- Phone: 614-645-3400
- Website and Tickets
In my opinion, Wildlights gets better every year! This is one of our favorite holiday events in Columbus! Each year there are more lights than ever and the season includes special visitors and performances.
Walk through the zoo and enjoy millions of LED lights, animated light shows, Rudolph and Friends, Santa, a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 4-D theater short and much more!
This event is included in regular admission and free for members! If there is any way you can do this on a weeknight, I highly recommend doing so, as traffic on the weekends can be a nightmare! It’s best to arrive early (before 5:00 PM) and then stay for the light show.
New this year: the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is now cashless.
3. Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights
- Dates: November 22, 2024 -Jan. 1, 2025
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 5:30pm – 9:00pm, Friday + Saturday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
- Where: Alum Creek State Park Campgrounds, 3311 South Old State Rd., Delaware, OH 43015
- Website and Tickets
Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights is an annual holiday 3 mile drive thru light show, with over 300 LED brilliant light displays you can see in the comfort of your own car.
Tickets are sold per carload online or at the gate. Click this link for detailed pricing info. Expect longer wait times or traffic shut downs on the weekends and plan to visit during the week if possible!
You can also buy a season pass for $80 which is good for any time the show is open during the season. Season passes can only be purchased at the gate.
The Fantasy of Lights benefits many local charities such as Recreation Unlimited and A Kid Again, among others, and honors current and former military through specialized evenings.
4. WonderLight’s Christmas
- Dates: November 15, 2024 – January 5, 2025
- Hours: Nightly: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
- Where: Hartford Fairgrounds, 14028 Fairgrounds Rd, Hartford, OH 43013
- Website
“WonderLight’s Christmas”, a drive-through Christmas light show, is housed at Hartford Fairgrounds in Hartford, Ohio, about 33 miles from downtown Columbus.
This family-friendly event will feature a 2-mile car ride through more than a million LED lights, all synchronized to music! Giant Christmas trees, floating snowflakes, shooting stars, dancing candy canes, and (a favorite of children of all ages) three enchanting tunnels of light will illuminate the night!
Guests will be able to watch the lights dance around them to traditional and newer, rocking Christmas music from the warmth of their own vehicle.
This event happens rain or shine every evening, including holidays! Reservations are recommended. The cost of admission is $30 for a carload pass that covers up to 7 passengers. There is also pricing for vehicles carrying more than 7 passengers. Make sure to click the link above for all of the details!
5. The Nutcracker
- Dates: December 12-28, 2024
- Hours: Performance times vary throughout the month.
- Where: Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus, OH 43215
- Website and Tickets
We have enjoyed seeing The Nutcracker at The Ohio Theatre during many holiday seasons! It feels very festive to get dressed up and enjoy the elaborate decorations in the theatre.
The ballet is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes which includes a 20 minute intermission. As you can see below, one year we got to sit in the very front row and could see the orchestra. My kids loved that! They haven’t had an orchestra in recent years however!
If your kids aren’t ready for the full-length show, try My First Nutcracker which features a shorter performance (1 hour) on December 20 and 26, both days at 11:00 AM. The show is sensory friendly.
6. Nativity at Cathedral Square
- Dates: November 29, 2024 – January 6, 2025
- Hours: Nativity can be seen 24/7 and will be lit at night.
- Where: front lawn of St. Joseph Cathedral, 212 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215
- More Info: Visit their Facebook Page for the most up to date info.
The Nativity at State Auto was recently donated to the Museum of Catholic Art and History and is now located at St. Joseph’s Cathedral at 212 E. Broad St. in downtown Columbus, OH.
The nativity will be lit nightly through. There is a parking lot behind the St. Joseph Cathedral. The link above will take you to their Facebook page so you can stay in the know about upcoming events!
Take a walk through this downtown nativity for a life-sized retelling of the story of Mary and Joseph’s trek to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus.
My family does this each year as close to Christmas Eve as we can. On Christmas Eve, baby Jesus has been placed in the manger, but I’m not sure of the plans since the nativity has moved.
7. Holiday Lights in Downtown Columbus (Wanderlights)
- Dates: November 22, 2024 – February 16, 2025
- Hours: Dusk until dawn; Festive Fridays will take place the first 3 Fridays in December from 5:00 – 9:00 PM.
- Where: Columbus Commons, Town Street and Bicentennial Park
- Website and More Info
A good plan to see the lights downtown is to park in the Columbus Commons parking garage, walk around Columbus Commons for holiday lights and decorations and then head down Town Street to Bicentennial Park and the Scioto Mile to see the lights that deck the entire area from Bicentennial Park to Broad Street.
We’ve been doing this plan for years but in 2024 the city has made it an official event with the introduction of Wanderlights! The path includes Columbus Commons, a seasonal mural on Town Street, 32 penguins along the path and over 40 sculptural lights at the Scioto Mile Fountain!
On the first three Fridays in December, enjoy free hot chocolate, live music, a traveling photo
booth, carousel rides, and a bar offering hot boozy beverages while wandering amongst the
lights from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
On those 3 nights there will also be a free Trolley Tour that will take you from Columbus Commons to see the butterfly light show at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Mark your calendar for December 7th when Downtown Columbus celebrates with a free Yuletide on Gay Festival, the Holiday Extravaganza and Downtown Holiday Trolley Hop.
See all the exact details at the link above!
- Don’t forget to check out 10 of Our Favorite Columbus Christmas Traditions for more ideas!
What are you favorite Columbus holiday traditions?
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