By: Chris Long

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The time when the whole neighborhood gets lit with various shades of white, blue, red, and green. It’s a highlight to drive around the neighborhood to see garland spun around front porches, but professional light shows are also great places to go with friends and family during the holiday season. We have put together a list of a few of the best light shows in the local area.

Piper’s Lights (5725 Fixit Shop Rd Wake Forest, NC 27587)

Piper’s Lights have been a family favorite of mine for quite a few years. Easily found off of Mitchell Mill Road, Piper’s Lights is a full operation. Starting around Halloween, family members begin putting up lights, so that by the beginning of December, the farm is turned into a winter wonderland.  Visitors can choose to either park and walk around to see the lights, or they can stay in the car and drive about 10 minutes through the light show. Visitors who chose to park and get out of the car can ride a little train that family members drive around the property. Others can go inside an old “mom-and-pop” candy store to pick up some sweet candy for the ride home. The light show is open on weeknights until 9pm and until 10pm on weekends. It doesn’t cost anything to visit, but they do accept donations.

Festival of Lights at Hillridge Farms (703 Tarboro Rd Youngsville, NC 27596)

During the holidays, Hillridge Farms get transformed into magical celebration of hometown Christmas cheer. Admission is $10 on Sunday-Thursday and $12 on Friday and Saturday. It includes a hayride tour of the lights, bonfires, smores, barrel races, jumping pillows, and an optional visit with Santa. The Festival of Lights is open nightly until December 31st, weather permitting.

Synchronized Raleigh Christmas Lights (1413 Whittington Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614)

This house just off of Falls of Neuse Road has a large light display that is synchronized with the classics of the season. People driving by can tune their radios to 107.7 FM to listen to the music as they watch the lights.

Thornrose/Dansforth neighborhood (Just south of Heritage HS off of Forestville Rd)

From personal experience, this is one of the best neighborhoods in Wake Forest to take a drive through on the evening of Christmas eve. Almost every house has some sort of decoration, and the whole neighborhood seems to have that special holiday season glow when you turn in off of Forestville Road. From Heritage High School, drive toward Burlington Mills Road on Forestville and make the first right after going over the bridge to get to the neighborhood.

Heritage neighborhood (Wake Forest, NC)

Heritage is an enormous neighborhood, but even so, most parts of the neighborhood are pretty well lit up during the holiday season. Take any one of the 100 entrances off of Rodgers Road or Heritage Lake Road on Christmas Eve, and you are likely to hit a slow crawl of traffic as people slow down and enjoy the holiday atmosphere.