The Top 10 Christmas light displays in Salt Lake for 2017
Ho ho ho, It’s that time of year again! It’s Christmas time in Salt Lake City! Who the heck doesn’t love Christmas? (Grinches, that’s who) We’ve had quite a year, haven’t we? I think we all need some Christmas spirit in our lives. What’s more festive during the holidays than grabbing the whole family, throwing on a beanie, scarf, and gloves, and going to see Christmas lights! We put together this list of the best Christmas lights in Salt Lake, so you don’t have to drive around aimlessly searching for good ones. Many of these holiday light displays have been around for years, and are the “tried and true” places to see Christmas lights in Salt Lake. Did we miss any? Please, let us know so we can add to the list! Enjoy 🙂
1. Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo
The Hogle Zoo puts a ton of time and money into their Christmas light displays, and it shows. Make sure you bundle up, but grab the kiddos and head up to Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo. You do need to walk through the zoo to see these awesome holiday lights, but there are quite a few areas to warm up, and even grab some hot chocolate or coffee. On top of that, there are still animals to see in addition to the Christmas lights. Hogle Zoo’s Zoo Lights are a must! They’re my little boy’s favorite Christmas lights in Salt Lake, hands down. Zoo Lights is open from December 1st – December 31st. Tickets are $6.95 for children and $8.95 for adults, with discounts available for seniors. 2600 E Sunnyside Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
2. Temple Square
Temple Square in Downtown SLC is really THE place to see Christmas lights in Salt Lake each year… and it’s FREE. Crowds flock to Temple Square for the holiday lights, and for good reason. Photos and video do not do them justice. Plan a night downtown, and just go! The Christmas lights turn on the day after Thanksgiving. They turn on daily at 5:30 pm (or when it gets dark) and stay on until 10:00 pm. On December 11-13, the lights will stay on until 11:00 pm due to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concerts and until 12:30 am on New Years Eve. 50 N Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150
3. Christmas Street (Sugar House)
Photo: Deseret News
A tradition that has been going for 70+ years, Christmas Street (Glen Arbor Drive) in Sugar House is an absolute must. (Not to be confused w/ Christmas Street in Taylorsville, which is #7 on the list) The residents of Glen Arbor Drive in Sugar House voluntarily decorate their homes and yards each year, to keep the Christmas Street tradition alive. You can drive through Christmas Street in 5 min or less, so it’s a quick trip. Please be considerate of those drivers in front of you by turning your headlights off and using only your running lights. 1500 E 1735 South, Salt Lake City, UT
4. Gardner Village
Photo Credit: Trip Advisor
Any time of year, Gardner Village in Midvale is a fun place to visit. But between Halloween and Christmas, it gets really fun because of the decorations and activities they have. During Christmas, they have a cool Elf Scavenger Hunt throughout the village for the kids, along with Christmas lights on the shops and trees throughout Gardner Village. They even do a Santa 5k run. Gardner Village is a fun place to see Christmas lights in Salt Lake. 1100 West 7800 South, West Jordan, Utah
5. Christmas in Color – South Jordan
Christmas in Color was in Kearns last year, but has moved to the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan for Christmas 2017. However, it’s even bigger and better this year! This music synchronized drive-thru light show starts on November 19th and runs through December 31st. This is my favorite display of Christmas Lights in Salt Lake City. Last year, we took my 1 year old son to see the light show from the warmth of our own car. He LOVED Christmas in Color… and so did we. They do such a great job with choreographed music, and have over 1 million Christmas lights! You’ll tune your radio to a specific station, so the synchronized music can blast through your speakers as well. Ticket pricing is per car, so load ’em up! Tickets are cheaper (and easier) online, so plan ahead. Hours: Mon – Thurs 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm, Fri & Sat 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm, Closed Sunday Salt Lake County Equestrian Park, 11161 S 2200 W, South Jordan, UT
6. Tree of Life – Draper
Photo Credit: Draper Lifestyle Magazine
On the south end of the Salt Lake valley is the Tree of Life in Draper City Park. This tree can’t be missed, literally. They say there are over 1,000 different strands of lights on the Tree of Life. I’d hate to be the one to put those lights up! There are christmas lights throughout the park in addition to the Tree of Life, but for obvious reasons, it gets all the attention. Draper City Park (12500 S. 1300 E. in Draper)
7. Christmas street Taylorsville
The “other” Christmas Street in Salt Lake is Royalwood Drive, and you can tell that all the homeowners on the street take pride in it. It’s another great local drive-by Christmas light display for those who don’t want to drive all the way to the Sugar House Christmas Street, The video above is from the 2017 Christmas season. Located just off Royalwood Drive in Taylorsville. 5400 South 3200 West, Taylorsville, UT
8. The Gateway – Downtown
Photo Credit: Facebook
The Gateway used to be THE coolest new place to go for Christmas lights and holiday shopping. It was packed! Now the crowds have “thinned” a bit, but they’re all missing out on the Gateways HUGE 62 FOOT TALL Christmas Tree! You heard me. The christmas tree near the fountains at The Gateway is a staggering 62 feet tall, and one of the most stunning Christmas trees you’ll ever see. Each tree along the mall is lit as well, and makes the Gateway a great option for getting the whole Christmas light experience, without the crazy crowds. 18 N Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT
9. City Creek Center
Santa is the main attraction at City Creek Center during the holidays, but their awesome christmas lights don’t get enough respect. Stroll through City Creek either before, or after, seeing the lights across the street on Temple Square. For those who want pictures w/ Santa, look for his “hut” just outside the food court and Microsoft Store. My family loves City Creek’s Santa photos each year. If you want a BIG discount on the photos, America First Credit Union members get 50% off! Downtown Salt Lake between State St and 200 West, and South Temple and 100 South
10. Christmas in the Cairns
Sandy’s brand new Cairns Plaza, near Sandy City Hall, is hosting a new Christmas light display called Christmas in the Cairns. From any corner of Salt Lake City, cruise over to Sandy City Hall to see the outdoor holiday light displays every night through December 28. They’ll have their new “Colorful Fountain,” a Festive Firetruck, and thousands of Christmas lights put together to make one heck of a Christmas light display in Sandy, Utah.
“During the month of December everyone is welcome to stop by Sandy City Hall and see the amazing old-time village, beautifully decorated Christmas tree and the thousands of colorful lights that surround City Hall.” – from Sandy’s website Cairns Plaza, 9900 S Monroe Street, Sandy, UT
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About the Author: The above article on 10 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in Salt Lake was provided by EAP Homes, a leader in the field of Real Estate sales, marketing, smart home technology, and social media. He is also the host & creator of a new local sh
ow for SLC called Salt Lake Insider, found on YouTube and Facebook, and HERE on this blog.
Chris can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 801-980-9977. Chris has helped many people buy and sell homes in the Salt Lake City area for years. Thinking of selling your home? I have a real passion for buying and selling Salt Lake City homes, as well as marketing, social media & smart home technology that goes along with it. I’d love to have the chance to use my expertise to help sell your home! I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Salt Lake area cities & neighborhoods: Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, Millcreek, Olympus Cove, Canyon Rim, Sugarhouse, Midvale, Murray, East Millcreek, Sandy, White City, Draper, Riverton, Daybreak, South Jordan, West Jordan, Herriman, Bluffdale, South Salt Lake, The Avenues, Federal Heights, and of course, Salt Lake City.
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