Where to see holiday lights in New Jersey this winter

All across New Jersey, communities are getting ready for annual holiday lights displays and celebrations.

From a sing-along hayride in Mullica Hill to an indoor Sea of Lights at the Jenkinson’s Boardwalk aquarium in Point Pleasant Beach, there are many festive ways to get into the holiday spirit.

Here are some of the highlights.

Augusta 

The Skylands Stadium Light Show and Christmas Village runs from Nov. 22 to Jan. 3 and features a mile-long drive decorated with more than 2 million lights. Advance timed-entry tickets are available online for $29 per car, plus taxes and fees.

Bergen County

Friends of the Bergen County Zoo in Van Saun County Park in Paramus will host Let It Glow! on Thursdays through Sundays, from Nov. 6 to Jan. 11, featuring a train ride through dozens of animal-themed lantern displays. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-17, plus fees, and are available online or at the door.

The Bergen County Winter Wonderland at Van Saun County Park runs Nov. 28 through Jan. 4, featuring ice skating and ice bumper cars. Timed online tickets are $11.49 per person for general admission ($6.24 for active duty military, veterans, and anyone age 65 or above). Children ages 3 and under can enter for free. Skating, skate rentals, and ice bumper cars will be available at an additional charge.

East Brunswick

Winter WonderLights, which bills itself as “New Jersey’s largest animated holiday light show drive-thru,” runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 28. Tickets are available online and cost $35 per car Monday through Thursday and $45 Friday through Sunday, plus taxes and fees.

Freehold

Christmas House Freehold is an immersive indoor display of holiday lights and decorations. Enjoy a 45-minute walk through the spectacle between Nov. 28 and Dec. 31. Tickets are $34.77 for adults, $29.28 for children ages 4 through 13, and free for anyone age 3 or under.

Hillsdale

The Orchard of Lights at Demarest Farms is a drive through 32 acres of holiday displays, open Nov. 22-Dec. 30. Timed-entry tickets for the 30-minute drive are $35 per car, plus taxes and fees.

Holmdel

The Magic of Lights drive-through lights display will be presented at the PNC Bank Arts Center from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3. Tickets cost between $33.79 and $39.12 per standard car in advance online or between $38 to $43 at the gate. 

Medford

Johnson’s Corner Farm hosts both musical light show hayrides and a walk-through light show from Nov. 21 to Dec. 23. Advance timed tickets start at $8.95 per person for one option or $15.95 for a combo ticket.  

Mullica Hill

The Creamy Acres Night of Lights runs Nov. 28-29, Dec. 5-6, Dec. 12-13, and nightly Dec. 15-20 and Dec. 22-27. The 100-acre dairy farm offers both a 1.5 mile drive-through light show and a sing-along hayride option. Tickets will be available soon.

Point Pleasant Beach

The annual indoor Sea of Lights at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk will transform the aquarium into a holiday spectacular with Santa on Dec. 7, 14, 21, and 22. General admission to the aquarium is $18 for adults, $12 for children ages 3-11, $13 for adults ages 65 and up, and free for children under age 3.

Sicklerville 

Glow Presents: Tinsel Turnpike is a mile-long drive-through holiday display with nearly 9 million animated lights, synchronized to seasonal music, open from Nov. 28 to Jan. 4. Timed online tickets are between $53 and $75 per vehicle for up to eight passengers, depending on the day.

West Orange

Holiday Lights 2025 at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is open Nov. 21-23 and then daily from Nov. 28 to Jan. 3. While admission to the walk-through display is free, donations of nonperishable foods, new toys, and gently used coats are appreciated.