Holiday Light Festivals Brighten Our Area

Montgomery County residents may want to visit area light displays during the holidays. Here’s a look at four local and regional light displays:

The 19th Annual Winter Lights Festival in Gaithersburg is open nightly from now through Dec. 31. This driving tour through Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg features more than 365 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes in a 3.5 mile drive. Visit Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, North Pole, Toyland, and Penguin Cove. All proceeds benefit local charities.

Visit the Winter Lights Festival website to learn more.

The 37th Annual Festival of Lights at the D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is open now through Jan. 1, 2015. The festival includes the walking light display, nightly musical performances in the indoor theater, indoor decorated Christmas trees, Creche display and a life-sized outdoor nativity. The festival is located at the Visitors’ Center of the Washington D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive in Kensington.

The lights are illuminated each night at dusk. Each concert is presented twice nightly, 7 and 8 p.m., at the Visitors’ Center. Free tickets are available 90 minutes before each performance.

Visit the Festival of Lights website to learn more and view the schedule of concerts.

Symphony of Lights at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia is open now through Jan. 4, 2015. The display includes more than 75 animated and stationary holiday lights. All proceeds from the light display benefit Howard County General Hospital.

Visit Symphony of Lights website to learn more.

The 28th Annual Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park is open now through Jan. 1, 2015. Drive through the part at night to enjoy more than one million lights. The park is located at 301 Watkins Park Drive (Route 193) in Upper Marlboro.

Learn more at the Festival of Lights website. Take a look at the video:

The Garden of Lights display at Brookside Gardens is cancelled this year due to renovations.

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