New Jersey does holiday lights three ways: from your car, on foot, or from a little train. Here are the 2026 shows we have confirmed, from the Holmdel drive-through that runs past New Year's to a lit-up petting farm in Boonton Township. Every date and price below was read on the organizer's own site on November 1 or 6. Most shows sell tickets online and the best nights go first, so book ahead, and check the official page before you go.
Drive-through shows
A drive-through on the grounds of the PNC Bank Arts Center, one price for the whole carload.
- November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027: 5 to 10 PM Sunday to Thursday, 5 to 11 PM Friday and Saturday
- From $22 a car online for a November visit ($30 at the gate); a $29.99 ticket good for any night is sold online until November 19; $89.99 season pass
The Middlesex County Fairgrounds turned into a drive-through light show every night of the season. Tickets are for a date, not a time, so come whenever it suits you that night.
- Nightly, November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, 5:30 to 10 PM (the gate closes at 9:45)
- $39.99 a car Monday to Thursday, $49.99 Friday to Sunday, more on Thanksgiving and Christmas week; $5 off for cash
A 1.5-mile drive through Diggerland USA, with tunnels, animated scenes and the park's construction machines decked out in lights.
- Most evenings from November 20, 5:30 to 9 or 9:30 PM
- From $37.99 a car
About half an hour of drive-through lights at Skylands Stadium, then park and walk the Christmas Village, which is free to enter (food and Santa photos cost extra). Plan on two hours for both.
- Select dates, November 21 to December 30
- $29 a carload for a reserved date and time, online only; $79 VIP with the express lane and no reservation
A 20 to 25 minute tour by car through the lights at Demarest Farms, with the Winter Lights Petting Zoo and a visit with Santa included.
- November 21 to December 29
- $59 a car, by reservation only (no tickets at the farm market)
A drive-through mile of lights at A. Casola Farms, with the Merry Lit Walking Trail included in the price.
- Friday to Sunday from November 27, 5:30 to 9:30 PM
- $45 a car
See the lights at Creamy Acres Farm from your own car or from a family hayride, then head inside to meet Santa.
- From Friday, November 27
- Tickets online ahead; the nights and prices are on the farm's site
Ocean County Parks' own drive-through at Jakes Branch County Park, for four nights only.
- December 11 to 14
- Details on the Ocean County Parks special events page
On foot
A free winter stroll through Turtle Back Zoo past more than 50 lit winter and animal characters, with Santa on hand (no appointment needed). The igloos by the picnic area need a reservation.
- November 20 to 22 and 27 to 29, then nightly December 4 to 31 (closed December 24 and 25), 5 to 9 PM
- Free, no reservation needed; some attractions and food cost extra
The tulip fields at Holland Ridge Farms become a walk-through "glowing sea of tulips" for the winter.
- November 13 to January 10
- Tickets online
A hayride through the tree fields of Anne Ellen Christmas Tree Farm to The Village, a lit Christmas village you walk through after dark.
- Select nights, November 6 to December 30, from 5 PM
- Timed tickets, online only; weekends usually sell out
Brookhollow's Barnyard lights up its petting farm on weekend evenings: walk among the animals, ride the little holiday train and buy a bucket of carrots for the animals.
- Friday to Sunday, November 27 to December 27, 4 to 7:30 PM
- $8.50 at the door (under 2 free); the train is $3 on Fridays and Saturdays
Six Flags Great Adventure turns into Holiday in the Park, with light displays and live shows, and most rides included with park admission.
- Select dates, November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027; check the park calendar for the days and hours
- Included with park admission; guests 65 and over get in free
A walk-through of holiday lights at Carm's Farm on Route 537, with Santa photos from November 27.
- Fridays to Sundays from November 20; the farm closes for the season December 31
- Hours and prices for the lights are not posted yet; check the farm's event calendar
The historic Congress Hall hotel decks its grounds in twinkling lights, with a carousel, holiday treats and Santa.
- November 27 to December 31: Thursday 3 to 8 PM, Friday 2 to 9 PM, Saturday 11 AM to 10 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 7 PM
- Special holiday hours may apply, so check the hotel's page
A free walk on the trails at Ludwig Family Farms on Lemon Road, near Allaire: thousands of lights, photo spots and a Giving Grove, with surprise visits from Santa. Donations go to four local causes, from the Howell Emergency Food Pantry to Shore Saves Animal Rescue.
- December 4 to 6, 11 to 13, 18 to 20, 23, 26 and 27, 5 to 9 PM, weather permitting
- Free; donations welcome, not required
Light shows by train
An outdoor train ride through a lit holiday village at DiDonato Family Fun Center, then Santa's Workshop indoors.
- November 14, 15, 20 to 22 and 27 to 29, then daily December 4 to 23; trains from 4:45 PM
- $22.95 to $27.95 a person online, for a set time; it often sells out
Santa's Village at Maple Leaf Farms runs a nighttime Holiday Lights Train and bonfires on weekend evenings, plus reindeer rides and a walk-through with Santa.
- November 27 to December 24; the lights train runs Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 9 PM and Sunday 5:30 to 8 PM
- $25 a person for the lights train, $35 for the night bundle; tickets at the farm only
Opening soon
Bergen County's Winter Wonderland returns to Van Saun County Park in Paramus on Friday, November 20; its hours and prices are not posted yet. Christmas Fantasy with Lights at Storybook Land, Let It Glow at the Bergen County Zoo, the light show on the lake at Historic Smithville and GLOW in Sicklerville come back every year, but we could not confirm their 2026 dates yet. We will add them to the calendar when we do.
Make a day of it
Most shows start at dusk, around 5 PM, so they pair well with an afternoon outside: walk a park nearby or pick out a tree at a cut-your-own farm, then drive or stroll the lights after dark. Dress warm, and check each show's page for weather closings before you head out.
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Take a hayride and visit the petting zoo any day of the fall at A. Casola Farms, with pony rides from Thursday to Sunday. On weekends the corn maze, a daytime haunted house, face painting and gold panning open too. Admission to Fall Fest is free and you pay only for the attractions you choose, at a family farm and nursery on Route 34.
- Address
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178 State Route 34,
Holmdel, New Jersey 07733
- Website
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https://www.acasolafarms.com/events
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Walk the fields and cut your own tree from about 50,000 blue spruce, Norway spruce, white pine, Canaan fir and Douglas fir, saws provided, or pick a pre-cut Fraser or balsam fir. Three Christmas shops sell ornaments, decor and fresh donuts, and there are farm animals, train rides and free visits with Santa. After dark, a hayride leads into The Village, a walk-through Christmas light attraction.
- Address
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114 Daum Road,
Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
- Website
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https://www.anneellenfarms.com
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Night of Terror turns the farm into a haunted hayride, a haunted paintball hayride and walk-through haunts on October nights. The Fall Fest brings wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, a kiddie corn maze, a farm park with pedal karts and a playground, and farm animals to visit. It is a working dairy farm, run by the same family since 1968, with a farm market on site.
- Address
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448 Lincoln Mill Road,
Mullica Hill, New Jersey 08062
- Website
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https://www.creamyacres.com/
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Pick your own apples and pumpkins, then visit the Farmyard petting zoo with goats, sheep, alpacas, donkeys, ponies and a goat swing. The farm market sells apple cider donuts, pies and fall decorations. After dark in October, drive through a 32-acre Halloween light show that you tune in on the car radio.
- Address
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244 Werimus Road,
Hillsdale, New Jersey 07642
- Website
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https://demarestfarms.com/
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Diggerland USA is a unique construction-themed adventure park in West Berlin, NJ, where children and adults can drive, ride, and operate REAL heavy machinery, modified for safety. It also features a water park, "The Water Main," climbing attractions, and various other family-friendly rides and activities.
- Address
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100 Pinedge Drive,,
West Berlin, New Jersey 08091
- Website
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https://diggerlandusa.com/
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Pick your own sunflowers, dahlias, gladiolus and wildflowers in fall and more than 8 million tulips in spring at Holland Ridge Farms. A tractor-pulled hayride loops the fields, and you can climb a Dutch windmill more than 100 feet tall for the view. Kids get a playground with a giant corn pit, a feeding zoo and weekend pony rides, with a small pumpkin patch in fall and food trucks every day.
- Address
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108 Rues Road,,
Cream Ridge, New Jersey 08514
- Phone
- 609-448 -7483
- Website
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https://www.hollandridgefarms.com/
- YouTube
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc1dLzKgx08M4bcohfNTU9w
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Jakes Branch County Park offers a balance of active and passive recreation opportunities. The nature center in the park will highlight the beauty, history, and natural surroundings of the Pine Barrens. Don't forget the huge playground and playground hiking trail!
- Address
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1100 Double Trouble Road,
Beachwood, New Jersey 08722
- Phone
- 732-281-2750
- Website
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http://www.oceancountyparks.org/frmRegContentPrks?ID=0694b294-986f-46e6-a679-d03ac775c176
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Pick pumpkins, ride the hayride and wander the giant corn maze at Maple Leaf Farms' Fall Fun Fest, then catch the pig races, a live bull riding show and country music. Kids get pillow jumps, a zip line, playgrounds and farm animals. The rest of the year it is a big garden center and country store, with Easter hayrides, a summer market and Christmas train rides.
- Address
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525 Route 9 South,,
Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
- Website
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https://www.mapleleaffarmsnj.com/
- Facebook
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https://www.facebook.com/MapleLeafFarmsNJ
- Instagram
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https://www.instagram.com/mapleleaffarmsnj
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Large theme park with roller coasters, gentler rides for young children, entertainment shows and on-site restaurants, in Jackson, NJ.
- Address
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1 Six Flags Blvd,,
Jackson, NJ 08527
- Website
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http://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure
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Skylands Stadium is one of North Jerseys premier facilities. Hosting a variety of sports and entertainment events including the Sussex County Miners, the Jack-o-lantern Experience, Christmas Light Show, Food Trucks Festival, Stunt Shows, Concerts, an
- Address
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94 Championship Place,,
Augusta, NJ 07822
- Website
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http://skylandsstadium.com/
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Within the zoo you will find all types of animals for your kids to enjoy. From birds of prey, to big cats, to reptiles and more, they have it all. Beyond the great animals, they also have special programs throughout the day.
- Address
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560 Northfield Ave,
West Orange, New Jersey 07052,
Essex County
- Phone
- 973-731-5801
- Website
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http://www.turtlebackzoo.com
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Within its 146 acres, Van Saun County Park offers a wide-range of activities that is sure to please the entire family. Some of its popular attractions include the nationally accredited Bergen County Zoological Park, the historic Washington Spring Gar
- Address
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216 Forest Avenue,,
Paramus, New Jersey 07652
- Website
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http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/?nid=852
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