Ohio does the holidays right — and once you start looking, you realize just how much is happening within a few hours of home.
Whether you want to stay close and find a drive-through light display you can do on a school night, or you are ready to plan a full weekend road trip to a Christmas market that feels like you flew to Europe without the flight, this list has something for every kind of holiday person.
I update this post every season, so bookmark it and check back as more events are announced.
What to Bring to a Christmas Light Event or Holiday Market
Whether you are walking a light trail or browsing outdoor market stalls, Ohio in November and December means cold. Come prepared:
- Hand warmers — the single best thing you can bring to any outdoor evening event
- An insulated tumbler for hot cocoa or mulled cider
- A warm, cute hat — you will want to look good for photos
- A sherpa or fleece jacket for layering — temperatures drop fast after dark
- A roomy tote bag for market shopping
- Comfortable boots — cobblestone market streets and light trail paths are uneven
- Cash for small vendors and Amish country markets
Ohio Christmas Light Displays: Walk-Through
Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Columbus, Ohio
Wildlights is one of the most iconic holiday light experiences in the state and for good reason. The Columbus Zoo transforms into millions of lights spread across the entire zoo grounds, with themed areas, live entertainment, and the bonus that you are walking through a zoo at night. It is a walk-through experience which means you can take your time and it makes for genuinely beautiful photos.
Book tickets in advance — Wildlights is timed entry and popular nights sell out. Tickets are cheaper online than at the gate.
📍 Columbus, Ohio Columbus Zoo Wildlights
Nature’s Aglow at Glamorgan Castle
Alliance, Ohio — Select nights December 4 to 30, 5 to 9 PM
Glamorgan Castle is one of Ohio’s most dramatic historic properties, and the Nature’s Aglow light experience transforms the castle grounds into something genuinely magical. The combination of the architecture and the lights makes this one of the most photogenic events on this whole list.
Tickets are cheaper online so book ahead rather than waiting to pay at the gate.
📍 Alliance, Ohio Glamorgan Castle
Ohio Christmas Light Displays: Drive-Through
Land of Illusion Christmas Glow
Middletown, Ohio
The largest drive-through light display in Southwest Ohio, with over 3.8 million lights along a two-mile route. Scenes inspired by holidays around the world and a 45-foot Christmas tree make this one genuinely impressive. If you are in the Dayton or Cincinnati area and want a drive-through option, this is the one.
📍 Middletown, Ohio Land of Illusion Christmas Glow
Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights
Delaware, Ohio
A beloved Central Ohio tradition, Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights loops you through glowing arches and holiday scenes at Alum Creek. It has that classic drive-through light show feel that never gets old, and Delaware is an easy trip from Columbus.
📍 Delaware, Ohio Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights
Holiday Lights at Lost Creek Reserve
Troy, Ohio
A 1.25-mile drive-through route with more than 50 animated scenes winding through wooded areas and past the lit Knoop Homestead. Troy is about 20 minutes north of Dayton, which makes this an easy weeknight option for anyone in the Miami Valley.
📍 Troy, Ohio (Miami County) Miami County Parks Holiday Lights
Upper’s Winter Fantasy of Lights
Upper Sandusky, Ohio
This one covers 33 acres with millions of lights, and what makes it special is that the community builds the displays. There is something really warm about a community-built light show that the big commercial productions cannot quite replicate.
📍 Upper Sandusky, Ohio Upper’s Fantasy of Lights
Lights on the Lake
Ashtabula County, Ohio
If you are in Northeast Ohio, Lights on the Lake covers 54 acres at Lakeshore Park with more than 70 displays and a Lake Erie backdrop. The combination of the lights and the lakefront setting is something you do not find at inland displays.
📍 Ashtabula County, Ohio Ashtabula County Lights on the Lake
Holiday Lights at Zane’s Landing
Zanesville, Ohio
A light trail along the river in Zanesville, with the added bonus of a courthouse music and light show downtown if you want to extend the evening. Zanesville does not get nearly enough credit as an Ohio day trip destination and the holiday season is a great time to explore it.
📍 Zanesville, Ohio Visit Zanesville Holiday Lights
Worth the Drive: Christmas Markets in Michigan
If you have never done a Christmas market road trip, Michigan is worth it. These are the ones people keep coming back to.
Christkindl Markt — Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth is already one of the most Christmas-obsessed towns in America (it has a year-round Christmas store called Bronner’s that takes two hours to walk through), and the ChristKindlMarkt is the crown jewel of the holiday season. Modeled on traditional German Christmas markets, it runs select weekends in late November and early December with handmade goods, hot cocoa, spiced wine, and Santa. It is the largest open-air holiday market in the region and it feels genuinely special.
Frankenmuth is about 3 hours from Dayton and 2.5 hours from Cleveland. It is a very easy overnight trip, and the town itself has great lodging options and a famous chicken dinner restaurant called Zehnder’s that is worth the visit on its own.
📍 Frankenmuth, Michigan
Kris Kringle Market — Rochester, Michigan
Rochester’s Kris Kringle Market is an old-world inspired Christmas market with caroling, live music, a gingerbread village, s’mores, Santa visits, and a warming tent. Rochester is a charming downtown and this market fits it perfectly. It runs in December and is about 3.5 hours from Dayton.
📍 Rochester, Michigan
Christkindl Markt — Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids has a European-style downtown Christmas market with handmade gifts, Santa, caroling, and curling sheet rentals which is a fun and unexpected activity to find at a holiday market. Grand Rapids is also just a genuinely great city to visit and pairs well with a broader weekend trip.
📍 Grand Rapids, Michigan
KindleFest — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor’s KindleFest is held in the Kerrytown District with 36-plus vendors, live music, food, and beer and wine. It has a more local artisan feel than the bigger markets and Ann Arbor is a beautiful college town to explore. About 3 hours from Dayton.
📍 Ann Arbor, Michigan
Worth the Drive: Indiana’s Best Christmas Market
Carmel Christkindlmarkt — Carmel, Indiana
This one deserves its own spotlight because it is consistently ranked among the best Christmas markets in the entire country. Carmel, Indiana has built one of the most authentic European-style Christkindlmarkts in America, with imported wooden vendor booths, international food and drinks, traditional crafts, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you feel like you are in Nuremberg or Cologne.
It runs from late November through Christmas Eve and draws visitors from across the Midwest every year. Carmel is just north of Indianapolis, about 2.5 hours from Dayton — completely doable as a day trip or a very easy overnight.
This is the out-of-state market I would put at the top of anyone’s list. It is that good.
📍 Carmel, Indiana (just north of Indianapolis) Carmel Christkindlmarkt
Planning Your Holiday Road Trip
A few things worth knowing before you go:
Book tickets online. Wildlights, Nature’s Aglow, and the Carmel Christkindlmarkt all benefit from advance planning. Some events are timed entry and popular dates sell out. Buying online is almost always cheaper than the gate price.
Weeknights are easier. For drive-through displays especially, weeknight visits mean shorter lines and a more relaxed experience. Walk-through markets are often more atmospheric on weekends when they are busier, but weekday visits are quieter.
Layer up. Even if the forecast looks mild, outdoor evening events get cold fast once the sun goes down. The hand warmers listed above are genuinely worth it.
Frankenmuth and Carmel are worth an overnight. Both towns have great accommodations and enough to fill an entire weekend. If you are going to drive that far, make it a trip rather than a rush.
Which One Is on Your List?
Drop it in the comments — I love hearing what our community is planning for the holiday season. And if there is a light display or Christmas market I should add to this list, let me know!
For more Ohio hidden gems, holiday events, and road trip ideas, follow along at @bucketlisttravelfam on Instagram and Facebook, and join our Ohio Weekend Events, Day Trips and Hidden Gems Facebook group where our community shares what is happening near them every week.
More Ohio holiday content is at bucketlisttravelfam.com.
