On Sunday my kids, mom and I all went to Sever’s Holiday Lights Drive-Thru Event in Shakopee, and we all agreed – it was magical and fun!
We have attended the Sever’s Fall Festival in previous years, and even went to their Stories, Riddles & Rhymes drive-thru event this year which was cute and whimsical. But with this COVID-quarantining at home going on month after month, we knew we had to go back for their Holiday Lights event for some more COVID-safe cheer!
I had previously written about Sever’s Holiday Lights in my guide, Holiday Lights Drive-Thru Events in Minnesota 2020. Sever’s Holiday Lights is a “magical drive-through display of 1,200,000+ lights synchronized to festive music in Shakopee.” This was one we definitely wanted to visit as it’s privately owned, AND you it’s the only one where you get a free goodie bag when you enter!
Plus – you can go back through again and again if you want!
Sever’s Holiday Lights runs from November 26th, 2020 to January 3rd, 2021. I had heard families have been saying positive things about it and it moves along quickly. Sever’s had some busy nights including this past Saturday, but I learned that was due to another nearby lights show losing power, so they had more people than they typically would have. I should note that when we went you could buy a ticket when you enter, but they changed that since this weekend so now you MUST buy a ticket in advance online.
Pricing is:
$25 per car (for 1-7 people)
$40 per 8+ vehicles
This does not include sales tax.
Note that it’s the same price as Christmas in Color at Valleyfair which is nearby.
Our Experience
We got our ticket online in advance for the 5:00 – 6:30pm timeslot. We arrived right at 5:00pm, and there was a short line ahead of us, but it moved continuously.
There was a winding drive through cornstalks, which still had some characters and “bells” your car sets off from their Stories, Riddles & Rhymes event this past summer.
Along the way we received a goodie bag too (scroll to the end for a picture of what’s inside!).
There were also a couple of food trucks when we went. There was one with cheese curds and chicken fritters, and another with mini donuts and popcorn. We wanted it all but just got the mini donuts and popcorn which were yummy (and we ate them too fast to take a picture!).
When we got in, maybe 10 minutes after we first arrived, the lights were bright and beautiful!
The lights were synchronized to music you could hear on the radio at 87.9 FM.
It was not huge in area but there was plenty to see and the music was fun and funky. My kids said they liked it best of all the light drive-thrus. I think because they had songs like “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2 and other popular favorites that my 12-year-old and 10-year-old knew!
The lights went in different patterns and danced with the music.
There were so many fun shapes and designs.
The whole drive took about 10-15 minutes. Thankfully people weren’t going really fast so we could really take it in.
At the Christmas in Color drive-thru they asked you to turn off your headlights but they didn’t ask that here and it was fine. People were far enough ahead of us and behind us.
Video of our drive!
Check out this video I made with highlights from our drive!
Our Goodie Bag
Here’s the goodie bag we got. It had some items from their sponsors like a hand warmer from T-Mobile and a square chocolate from Xfinity. I ate the chocolate (hey, moms need their chocolate fix) though it was kind of hard. The goodie bag was a nice touch though.
More info and tips
We enjoyed the event and recommend it. It moved along and seemed well-organized. I can imagine the wait getting long later in the evening, especially on weekends. I would recommend trying to go on a weekday closer to when they open to avoid crowds.
To learn more visit the Sever’s website.
More lights!
For more reviews check out these:
Our Review of Christmas in Color at Valleyfair:
Our Review of Glow at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds:
My guide to Holiday Lights Drive-Thru Events in Minnesota 2020:
(Disclosure: I received a complimentary ticket to visit in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.)