There are few things as magical as the first snowfall of the year, especially when that happens in December, and the enthusiasm for winter and snowflakes is running at its highest. The sparkle of the snow just accentuates the excitement of the holiday season: the anticipation, the plans to get together with good friends and see family, the wonder of it all…
Holiday lights just make the first snow fall even better!
We were planning on seeing the Winter Lights holiday lights display at Seneca Creek State Park, in Gaithersburg, MD, anyway, and as the snow fell late Saturday afternoon, even debated on the intelligence of heading out on potentially slick roads as the temperature fell below freezing.
With the blog in mind, we went anyway, and now we’re glad we did! The snow reflected the lights, coating the ground with a smooth coating of white.
Winter Lights winds some 3.5 miles through Seneca Creek State Park. The magic of Winter Lights is how the road curves and changing landscape (wooded areas, hills) reveal its 380 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes.
At one point, as the road traveled by the park’s lake, lights displays reflected in the still lake water. Lovely indeed!
Many of the illuminated displays echo common holiday lights displays — toyland, stuffed bears, Santa and the reindeer, and snowflakes, but look for the more unusual sailboat on the lake, the beaver cutting down trees, and the sly fox! With or without snow, this holiday lights display is one of our favorites!
Getting there: Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878
Hours: open nightly November 24 through December 31. Please note that the festival will be closed on December 25. Sunday – Thursday: 6 – 9 p.m., Friday & Saturday: 6 – 10 p.m.
Website: http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/leisure/winter-lights-festival
- Bull Run Festival of Lights
- Christmas in New York City
- Christmas Magic in York
- Christmas Train Garden
- Garden of Lights at Annmarie Sculpture Garden
- Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
- Festival of Trees at William Goodrich Center
- Frederick by Candlelight
- Lights on the Bay
- Making Christmas Ornament: Glass Blowing at Art of Fire
- Maryland Lights Roundup
- Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights
- Mid-Atlantic Holiday Lights Roundup
- Newport News’ Celebration of Lights
- Sailing into the Solstice 2018 and 2019
- Symphony of Lights
- Tale Lights
- Williamsburg’s Christmas Wreaths
- Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Park
- Zoo Lights at the Maryland Zoo
- Zoo Lights at Smithsonian National Zoo
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