The switches are being flipped on at Christmas light displays around the region and there is a lot more than just lights.
Koziar’s Christmas Village, in Bernville, is already open.
The Light the Night walking trail at Sugarloaf Golf Club near Hazleton begins Friday.
The Back Mountain Festival of Lights drive-through at Stone Hedge Golf Course near Tunkhannock opens Saturday. There is a special benefit preview night on Friday for walkers and runners.
The holiday lights display at Nay Aug Park a previous Christmas. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO)
A large free display, the Holiday Light Spectacular at Nay Aug Park, Scranton, kicks off Monday at 5 p.m.
Joy Through the Grove, the display at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, opens the day after Thanksgiving.
To varying degrees, they are all more than light shows, with snacks for sale, maybe Santa on at least some nights and other features.
In a different style, Berwick’s famous Christmas Boulevard focuses on large dioramas and traditional decorations among the lights. It is free, opens Dec. 6 and also features Santa on some nights.
The displays that line Berwick’s Christmas Boulevard include many themes. (Courtesy of Christmas Boulevard)
The holiday lights display at Nay Aug Park in Scranton in a previous season. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO
Lights at Nay Aug Park in a previous season. (Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau)
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The displays that line Berwick’s Christmas Boulevard include many themes. (Courtesy of Christmas Boulevard)
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Koziar’s Christmas Village
First up: Koziar’s Christmas Village, a family-owned enterprise in its 78th season. It is a 40-minute drive from Pottsville.
Koziar’s is already open on weekends. From Thanksgiving Day through Jan. 3, it is open every day, including the holidays.
The self-guided walking tour stops by several buildings, with indoor and outdoor displays including train layouts, a manger scene, food and a gift shop.
Ticket prices vary. Tickets for ages 11 to 64 are $13. There is a $5-per-person upcharge on certain dates.
See koziarschristmasvillage.com.
Sugarloaf Golf Club
The Light the Night at Sugarloaf Golf Club near Hazleton begins Friday. The schedule varies, with Dec. 30 being the last night.
It’s a walk-through display with a play area, fire pits, a candy store, a Christmas-themed toy store and extensive menu that includes a full bar.
“We try to create a scene here that keeps kids busy, so that parents can enjoy themselves just as much as kids,” said clubhouse manager John Carsia. “We really brand this as something for everyone.”
Parents can see into the supervised play areas while sipping cocktails in glasses that glow. Snowball fights, with fluffy faux snowballs, are set among hay bale barriers. Sugarloaf sells s’mores kits to make over the fire pits.
The 30-minute walk through millions of lights is interspersed with the fire pits and a refreshment stand. You might spot Santa along the way. The animated light displays include a yeti, the Grinch, a penguin jumping into a pool of water, and reindeer that sing and dance.
Admission is $10 for kids and $15 for adults.
Carsia expects 10,000-plus visitors.
Check the calendar at sugarloafgolfclub.com/holiday-lights.
Stone Hedge Golf Course
At Stone Hedge Golf Course, Friday’s preview is a fun run and walk, but not a race. The $25-per-person fee benefits local first responders.
Stone Hedge opens to drivers Saturday and runs through New Year’s Eve. It is open every night except Christmas Eve.
Owners Karen and Bill Ruark added two big displays this year. One was inspired by the new Smurfs movie and the other by “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which Karen Ruark calls an “adorable” movie.
Overall, their grounds crew puts up 30 to 35 themed pieces. “We make it new, because we never put anything in the same place twice,” she said. The drive is 2.5 miles long, through 4 million to 5 million lights.
Warm up by a fire with refreshments.
Ruark said business is good but wouldn’t give attendance figures. It is high enough that they can keep their grounds crew working all year. That was the goal when they started the light festival several years ago.
Admission prices are per vehicle: $30 Sunday through Thursday and $35 Friday and Saturday.
Tickets are not sold online, but the Facebook page lists a few businesses where tickets are sold in advance.
Other details are on the website: playstonehedge.com.
Nay Aug Park, Scranton
A large free display, the Holiday Light Spectacular at Nay Aug Park kicks off on Monday and runs every night through Wednesday, Jan. 7. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m.
Last year, a big waving Santa debuted, with a sign that says, “To all a good night.” That’s the latest big addition.
“It’s a big focal point for people,” said Bob Gattens, chairperson of the Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority. “So many people had their pictures taken in front of it last year. So it was an eyecatcher.” He estimates it is around 36 feet long and 16 to 20 feet high.
There are local touches among the displays in the wooded park, such as references to the old zoo and a copy of the Electric City sign.
Almost 50,000 cars drove through last year. Visitors can also see the display on foot.
The numbers were down last year because Thanksgiving fell in late November, as it will this year.
Last year donations fell to about $35,000 because of the calendar and bad weather. Volunteers collect around $60,000 in better years.
There are about 20 volunteers working on the display, which was again erected by Parks and Recreation Department employees. Last year, the city tried an outside contractor.
Knoebels Amusement Resort
The drive to Knoebels Amusement Resort is 50 minutes from Pottsville, 70 minutes from Wilkes-Barre, 80 minutes from Scranton and one hour from Hazleton.
Joy Through the Grove is a 2-mile drive through 500 illuminated pieces and 15 miles of string lights. The ride through the resort’s wooded areas includes Knoebels’ themed displays.
Snacks are for sale at the entrance, including their traditional fudge.
It opens the day after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year’s Eve, but is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Admission, per vehicle, is $25 on weekdays and $30 on weekends, with a $5 discount for online sales and higher prices for larger vehicles.
Various promotional nights are listed at knoebels.com/joy-through-the-grove.
Berwick’s Christmas Boulevard
Berwick’s Christmas Boulevard has been drawing crowds for more than 75 years.
What’s new? “That’s a surprise,” said Patsy Bowers, the committee president.
Christmas Boulevard opens Dec. 6 and goes through New Year’s Eve. On opening night only, pedestrians will be allowed to walk along the exhibits.
Beginning at Third and Market streets, the route is lined with large display cases and more traditional decorations and lights.
Santa will be on hand through Dec. 23.
Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. on weekends.
There is a Facebook page.