Looking for the best Christmas lights in Kentucky? Each area of our state has its favorite holiday attractions and traditions and light displays are always at the top of the list. Located in Burlington, Northern Kentucky’s only drive-thru Christmas light show has become a tradition for many families over the past few years since it first opened. A magical Christmas light display, Light Up the Fair in Kentucky is a mile and a half of twinkling lights and dazzling displays that’s worth the drive and definitely worth a visit if you live in the area.

Light Up the Fair is a holiday lights display in Kentucky, located at the Boone County Fairgrounds.
Facebook/Light Up the Fair
For 2022, Light Up the Fair runs nightly from Nov. 11 through Dec. 31. This experience is a great way to kick off the magic of the holiday season.
Preparation for this massive light display began several months ago when every light was checked and staging took place.
Facebook/Light Up the Fair
The set up happened over several weeks and so much hard work went into creating this family-friendly tradition that gets bigger and better every year.
As the sun sets, the lights come on and the fairgrounds in Boone County become a magical holiday wonderland.
Only In Your State/Andrea Limke
The lights line a 1.5-mile route that winds through the property and gives you different views and perspectives with every turn.
This display is particularly charming thanks to its local touches and unique designs.
Only In Your State/Andrea Limke
Fan-favorite sections return each year, but organizers also keep it fresh and exciting with new additions, as well as improvements each year.
You can always expect to see a patriotic section of the display, as well as several tunnels and roads lined on both sides with displays.
Only In Your State/Andrea Limke
The display is wonderfully timed to themed music, which you can listen to in your car by tuning into 97.9.
With over half a millions lights, Light Up the Fair is one of the largest holiday light displays in the country.
Only In Your State/Andrea Limke
And as it quickly became a favorite tradition in Northern Kentucky, many also drive from all around to witness this fantastic holiday display.
If you're lucky, maybe you'll visit on an evening when there's a light blanket of snow around the lights.
Facebook/Light Up the Fair
You'll be warm and cozy in your car, and the enchantment of the holiday season will shine all around you as your family drives through one of the best Christmas lights displays in Kentucky.

Light Up the Fair is not just Northern Kentucky’s only drive-thru Christmas light show, but it’s also one of the best Christmas lights in Kentucky. Pile the family in the car, blast the holiday tunes, and make plenty of Christmas memories this season. Have you enjoyed the magic of Light Up the Fair in Boone County? Share your favorite drive-thru Christmas lights displays in Kentucky with us in the comments.

For more information on Northern Kentucky’s only drive-thru Christmas light show, visit the Light Up the Fair website where you can also order tickets ahead of time. Also be sure to follow along with them on Facebook!

And if you want to make an evening of it, make a dinner reservation at this favorite Northern Kentucky restaurant.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

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best Christmas lights in Kentucky

Sarah M. | October 18, 2022

What are some other great drive-thru holiday lights in Kentucky?

While Light Up the Fair is the only drive-thru Christmas lights event in Northern Kentucky, it's by no means the only drive-thru light display in Kentucky! For starters, Lights Under Louisville is an epic, subterranean seasonal adventure. Head to the Mega Cavern to see the world's only underground light show. Lights Under Louisville runs from mid-November to early January. At the Kentucky Horse Park, Southern Lights is a fan favorite. This driving tour of spectacular lights attracts more than 120,000 visitors each year. The route is open nightly from late November to the end of December. Looking for something smaller? In Owensboro, Christmas at Panther Creek Park is an enchanting Christmas lights event in Kentucky where you can drive through an amazing illuminated tour with more than 400,000 lights. The tour is open every night throughout the season and continues until early January.

What's the biggest holiday light display in Kentucky?

Much of the Bluegrass "goes big" for the holidays, but no place goes bigger than Patti's. Patti's 1880's Settlement is one of the most beloved destinations in the Bluegrass State, so it only makes sense that Patti's hosts one of the most epic holiday events as well! Each year, the lights at Patti's 1880's Settlement shine bright across the bucolic Bluegrass landscape, enchanting families and signaling the official start to Christmas in Kentucky. This Grand Rivers attraction absolutely belongs on your Christmas in Kentucky bucket list!

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Light Up The Fair, 5819 Idlewild Rd, Burlington, KY 41005, USA