It’s the New Year (yay!) and COVID is still canceling many events (boo!), but if there’s one thing people prove, it’s that we still will figure out how to have some fun! Drive-thru holiday lights events were super popular this holiday season, and this guide I put together listed the ones I found throughout the state!
It’s January now, but fortunately there are still safe DRIVE-THRU events happening this month and next month in Minnesota!
Here are the events I’ve found! Let me know if there are more I should add!
Check out these Holiday Lights Drive-Thru Events while you still can!
Christmas in Color Drive-Thru – Shakopee
November 27th, 2020 – January 3rd, 2021
Sun to Thurs 5:30pm – 10:00pm, Fri to Sat 5:30pm – 10:30pm
A NEW holiday attraction has come to Valleyfair, and you can enjoy it from the safety of your car!
It’s called Christmas in Color, and it’s a mile-long, drive-through light and music display. It is in Valleyfair’s massive parking lot, and tickets are on sale here!
Tickets and Discount
Cost for Christmas in Color in Shakopee is $30 per vehicle but use my discount code FRUGALMOM to save 15%!
Plus we visited on opening night!
Check out my review of Christmas in Color from 11/27!!!!
GLOW Holiday Festival Drive Thru Light Experience – St. Paul
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
November 19, 2020 – January 3, 2021
Entry times are between 4:30pm and 10:00pm each night (every 15 min)
An all-new experience, the GLOW Holiday Festival is at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for 46 consecutive nights from November 19th, 2020 to January 3rd, 2021!
We went and enjoyed it! Read our review of our visit when it opened!
The Great Minnesota Holiday Get-Together is a one-mile drive-thru with a dozen seasonal scenes. There are over a million holiday lights, a 100-foot illuminated tree, icicle and art installations, a festive gingerbread house, and other attractions.
Tickets are $46 plus applicable fees per vehicle. The whole drive takes about 40 minutes.
You can also purchase fair food at the end from your vehicle!
Sever’s Holiday Lights – Shakopee, MN
November 26th, 2020 – January 3rd, 2021
Sun – Thurs 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri to Sat 5:00pm – 10:00pm
This is a magical drive-through display of over 1,000,000 lights, all synchronized to festive music!
Vehicles can go through as many times as they’d like and there is about 40 minutes of music programming total.
We went and here’s a review of our visit with a video! Each car gets a goodie bag and I show what’s inside!
Sever’s is:
Sunday-Thursday 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Tickets: $7 – 40.
Tickets are $7 per person with a maximum charge per vehicle of $25 (+ sales tax). 3 people would be $21 (+ sales tax), 4 people would be $25 (+ sales tax), and 5 people would still be $25 (+ sales tax) because of the maximum charge of $25. Large vehicles of 8 or more people is $40 (+ sales tax).
Sam’s Christmas Village & Light Tour – Somerset, Wisconsin
November 27, 2020 – January 2, 2021
Sun to Thurs, 5:00pm – 9:00pm, and Fri & Sat, 5:00pm – 10:00pm
I included this here separately as it’s in Wisconsin, but it’s open and alternates drive-through nights with walk-through nights. Families have been loving it!
Cost is $12 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 – 10, free for kids 3 and under, and 1/2 off with military ID!
Other Winter Drive-Thru Events!
Nature Illuminated – Apple Valley
Minnesota Zoo
Open most dates from December 3, 2020 – January 17, 2021
Sun to Thurs 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Fri to Sat 5:00pm – 11:00pm
The Minnesota Zoo has created a magical world to drive through this holiday season. It’s called Nature Iluuminated, and it features stunning light work and larger-than-life animal art installations. It’s a world of art, awe and light that you can enjoy in your car. Not exactly a holiday event, but a lights drive-thru nonetheless that sounds like it will be a hit. Not cheap though – tickets are $50 – $60 for nonmembers, depending on the day of the week (rates are $25 – $35 for members). Still, you’re supporting a good cause – the nonprofit Minnesota Zoo.
Winter in Bloom – Chaska
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
November 19, 2020 – January 17, 2021
Not a drive-thru experience, but a walk-through experience.
Experience the magic of Winter Lights 2020: Winter in Bloom. Dress for the wintery weather and stroll through your favorite botanical-themed light displays from the past and some new ones that are sure to become favorites.
They extended this from January 3rd to January 17th, so more tickets are available but limited!
Saint Paul Winter Carnival Drive-Thru Ice & Snow Sculpture Park – St. Paul
Minnesota State Fairgrounds
January 28th – February 7th, 2021
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is celebrating its 135th year in 2021, and they have a NEW attraction – the Drive-Thru Ice & Snow Sculpture Park!
This new drive-thru experience combines TWO of the Winter Carnival’s signature events – the Ice Carving Competition and the Snow Sculpture Contest. It will be each day of the Carnival – January 28th – February 7th, 2021, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
Wintertime in Stillwater – Stillwater, MN
Throughout the city
Through February 2021
The entire mile of Main Street’s shopping and dining district is lined with snowflakes and rooftop lights while a winter wonderland pedestrian area in the heart of downtown puts on an LED light show synchronized to music nightly. All ages can enjoy this FREE event now through March!
If you don’t want to get out of your car, you can still enjoy many lights just driving around!