Big Christmas light events where you buy tickets to drive through tunnels, walk through mazes, and raise a cup of cocoa with Santa are fun. But sometimes you just want to pour your own thermos of hot chocolate and hop in the car for a drive around the neighborhood.
Where to point your car for the best and brightest lights around?
The following residential neighborhoods and individual homes are lighting up with choreographed shows, music, and over-the-top displays through the end of the year. (And this list will grow as more and more flip the switch.) Remember to be considerate of other cars and homes in the neighborhood — pack some patience, don't hold up traffic and don't block driveways.
For a larger list of spectacular Christmas lights around Fort Worth, including drive-thrus and commercial displays, click here; in Dallas, click here.
Wisdom Way Lights, Haltom City, now-January 1
The "Selena house" that debuted as a sensation last year is back. The Gonzalez family's 10th annual choreographed show of 8,300 LED lights features a six-minute tribute to pop icon Selena. Clips of Selena concerts are projected on an LED screen while music and snippets of interviews are played over speakers and lighted Christmas trees on the lawn "dance" along. Then, an eight-minute light show features characters from The Simpsons. Visitors can view both shows from from their cars and listen on radio channel 89.7 FM. Wisdom Way Lights runs nightly from 6-10 pm, and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturdays. Find it at 4521 Wisdom Way, Haltom City, and follow Wisdom Way Lights on Facebook and YouTube for updates.
Curry Christmas Chaos, North Richland Hills, now-January 1
Three houses collaborate to present a lights show synchronized to music that's anything but the "chaos" that the name implies. From start to finish, it's just over an hour long, and features a mix of pixels and standard LED lights "dancing" to music. Visitors can tune in to 89.9 FM to listen as lots of Christmas trees light up on the lawn. The show runs every night (unless mother nature decides differently), 6-11 pm, through January 1. Find it at 3506 Reeves St., NRH. Follow the Facebook page for more information and updates.
Foley family home, Park Glen, far north Fort Worth, now-January 1
Since 2015, the Foley family has been lighting up their home with a choreographed lights display. It plays each night from 6-10 pm and features over 20,000 LED lights and approximately 30 songs. (Half of them play on one night and half the next, so you can see different shows on different nights.) Listeners can tune to 100.1 FM to hear the music from their car or listen to it on speakers throughout the yard. Don't miss the singing Santa face, 10-foot mega-sized Christmas tree topped with a Bethlehem Star, or — new this year — a singing, dancing Baby Yoda. You can drop off a letter to St. Nick in a special mailbox (he might just write back!), and walk through a Christmas light tunnel on the sidewalk. The home faces the Arcadia Park hike-bike trail, so it's easy to walk or bike up to the house for an all-outdoors experience. Find it at 8301 Greylock Dr., at Island Circle, Fort Worth, just south of Keller.
Tell Family Lights, far north Fort Worth, now-January 1
The family home near Keller Central High School puts on an annual synchronized Christmas lights show, which gets more high-tech each year. This year, they're raising money for the Make-a-Wish foundation to help grant wishes for children with critical illnesses; find more information about donating here. Find the home at 5016 Keating St., Fort Worth, 76244. The lights are on 5:30-9 pm Sunday through Thursday and 5:30-10 pm Friday and Saturday. (Make sure to not block anyone’s driveway and be careful driving down the street, they advise.) Follow their website or Facebook page for more information and updates.
DFW Christmas Light Show — Araujo Family, Grapevine, now-January 1
After taking the year off in 2020, the Araujo family of Grapevine is back and bigger than ever. There's a choreographed light show in front and a new, extra surprise in the backyard: a "birthday party" setup with dozens of vintage animatronic characters and even more lights. Visitors are welcome to get out, explore, and take photos in front and back. The whole display is on, with different songs playing, from 6-10 pm nightly. Find it at 4341 Woodglen Dr., Grapevine, 76051. Follow the Facebook page for updates.
Interlochen Lights, Arlington, December 17-25
The Interlochen neighborhood will present Interlochen Lights for just one week and weekend during the holiday season. Known as the best neighborhood light show in Texas, the event allows guests to drive through the neighborhood and pick out favorite displays while they tune into holiday music on radio stations 102.1 FM or 98.7 FM. This is one of the busiest spots in Dallas-Fort Worth during the holiday season, and it's free. The route will be the same as previous years; find the map here. Watch for updates on their website and Facebook page.
Diamond Loch, North Richland Hills, now-January 1
This North Richland Hills neighborhood has dressed up for the holidays for decades. Drive through the cul-de-sac slowly to check out adjacent houses that join forces to present a massive computerized show. The rest of the street decorates nicely to make an enchanted "Whoville" Christmas experience. They grow the show every year, and The Grinch himself may actually pop in occasionally; follow their Facebook page (and search #nrhgrinchlights) to keep up. It's open daily, 5:30-11 pm. To find it, navigate to the address 6217 Windsor Ct., NRH, 76180.
Rushing Meadow Court and Harder Drive, Dalworthington Gardens, now-January 1
Homeowner Dave Kulesz started a neighborhood tradition when he lit up his property with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights. Surrounding homes got into the fun and now attract visitors from miles around. Kulesz uses the exposure to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease, to which he lost his mother. A sign in his front yard encourages people to make gifts to the Alzheimer's Association. See the lights every night from 5:45-11 pm. Find it on Rushing Meadow Court in Dalworthington Gardens.
Montego Road, Ridgmar neighborhood, west Fort Worth, now-December 31
The Montego Road Christmas Show project, more than 15 years strong, takes an entire street to pull off. Two residences (mirror images of each other) comprise the main program, with two more "support homes" flanking them and curb lights of 12 other homes leading the way to the main event. The show of more than 125,000 lights is fully choreographed to Christmas music (heard on an FM radio station in the car or via outdoor speakers) and lasts about 30 minutes. It begins at 6 pm and runs until midnight each night. To find it, exit Interstate 30 at Ridglea/Ridgmar Blvd. and go north. The streets are in alphabetical order until you reach Montego Road. The display begins there, at Ridgmar Blvd., and continues west on the 1100 block of Montego Road.
Fairmount
You can pick any night to drive around Fairmount and see historic bungalows lit festively for the season. But the best night of all is Festivus, the annual celebration and holiday lights tour. It takes place 6-9 pm Saturday, December 11. Watch the historic district's Facebook page for more information as plans develop.
Ryan Place
The gorgeous historic homes in this grand Fort Worth neighborhood get illuminated in spectacular fashion, as do the long walks that lead up to them. The beloved Candlelight Christmas in Ryan Place will not take place this year, but a drive through the neighborhood to see the stately homes dressed for the holidays is worth it.
Cultural District
Make the marvelous Modern Lights around the Modern Art Museum your starting point, but drive through the museum district, then through some of the old neighborhoods across the bricks of Camp Bowie, and you'll see grand homes dressed and ready to dazzle for the holidays.
Ridglea Hills
Folks who take walks and visit the ducks along Luther Lake in this westside Fort Worth neighborhood eagerly anticipate the arrival of the holiday lights on about 30 surrounding homes. The lights reflect in the water of the 10-acre lake, making for some pretty spectacular photo and video opps on clear nights. The best place to see them is along the bridge at Clayton Road.
Glenbrook
The annual Season of the Glenbrook Christmas display in this 76021 neighborhood will run through Friday, December 31. Drive through the neighborhood to read “The Night Before Christmas in Texas That Is” and view some sparkling and festive light displays. Find it at Cummings Drive and Brookside Court, and keep up via the Facebook page.
Keller
Keller Parks & Recreation has opened voting in its holiday yard decorating contest to the public. They've published a handy list of contestants and a map, which also makes a great roadmap for a self-guided tour through some magnificent neighborhood displays. Head to their Facebook page for more information and links.
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Know of another spectacular lights display in DFW? Email stephanie@culturemap.com. Please include a website or social media account link for your recommendation.
Festivus for the rest of us, in Fairmount.
