Ones We Missed This Year
Holiday attractions in the Cincinnati area we didn't make it to this season.
We didn’t get to everything this year. Here are some notable attractions we skipped or that weren’t available.
Holidays on the Farm (Parky’s Farm)
We love Parky’s Farm. We really do. But we’ve never felt like Holidays on the Farm was worth the cost—$17 for adults, $12 for kids. For a family, that adds up fast compared to the per-car pricing at most drive-through displays.
What frustrates us most is that Great Parks stopped hosting “Holiday in Lights” at Sharon Woods in order to put everything into this event at Parky’s. Holiday in Lights was a beloved drive-through tradition, and while Holidays on the Farm offers hayrides, pony rides, carolers, farm animals, and Santa’s reindeer, it’s just not the same experience.
The event runs nightly December 4-23 at Winton Woods Farm & Equestrian Center. If the price point works for your family, it can be a very nice evening out with over 100,000 LED lights, a beer garden, and magic shows.
Holiday in Lights
This one hurts. Holiday in Lights was a Cincinnati tradition for over 32 years—a drive-through display with over 1 million lights and 250 displays. I really miss those reindeer lights jumping over my car.
The event moved from Sharon Woods to Armco Park in Warren County for 2022, but then went on “pause” starting in 2023 due to a nearly fourfold increase in electricity costs. Organizers have been looking for a new location with better electrical infrastructure, but it wasn’t held in 2024 or 2025.
Here’s hoping it comes back someday.
Light Up The Fair
Light Up The Fair at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Northern Kentucky is one we keep meaning to check out. It features millions of lights synchronized to music, and runs nightly from late November through late December. It’s right across the river and we just never made it over there this year.
The Legendary Lights of Clifton Mill
Clifton Mill, located near Yellow Springs about an hour north of Cincinnati, is consistently ranked as one of Ohio’s best Christmas light displays. The historic mill is covered in millions of lights, and photos of it are stunning. We’ve never made the drive up, but it’s on the list for next year.
Light in the Forest
The Cincinnati Nature Center hosts Light in the Forest, a 1-mile walking tour featuring seasonal lights and installations by regional artists (including some BLINK artists). It runs on select evenings in December and looks like a more contemplative, nature-focused light experience. Maybe next year.
What did we miss that you love? There’s always next season.