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Southern Lights

Featured Event

Southern Lights
Holiday Festival

The Southern Lights Holiday Festival presented by Friends of Coal
is a three-mile driving tour through brilliant holiday lights!

Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Santa at Southern Lights
Smores Gathering
Mustang Troop Southern Lights
Kids Play at Southern Lights Playground

Spectacular Sights on Holiday Nights

Celebrating its 30th year at the Kentucky Horse Park, Southern Lights presented by Friends of Coal is a magical holiday tradition for thousands of families throughout the Bluegrass and beyond.  See over a million twinkling lights from the safety of your car.  Enjoy the return of the Holiday Village which promises to be brighter than ever!  Featuring photos with Santa, Animal Land, model trains, and so much more, the Southern Lights Holiday Village is sure to delight guests of all ages.

Event Information

Drive through the lights nightly, November 24-December 31, 2023 (Closed Christmas Day) from 5:30-10:00 pm. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and check this item off your list by pre-purchasing your tickets!

Tickets purchased online in advance are $30 per carload (plus processing fee).

Tickets purchased at the ticket booth are $35 per carload. Cash or Credit Card accepted.

Purchase Tickets
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Friends of Coal

Friends of Coal Partnership

The Southern Lights Holiday Festival was honored to partner with its presenting sponsor Friends of Coal. Thank you, Friends of Coal, for keeping the lights on!

Sponsors 2021

Santa's List

Santa’s List

Download Santa’s list, fill it out, and then drop it off in the North Pole Mailbox at Southern Lights.

Download Santas List

Plan Your Visit

Southern Lights is open nightly, November 24 -December 31 (Closed Christmas Day). Thursdays-Sundays are very popular nights at Southern Lights. During these nights, long lines and wait times should be expected. We highly recommend purchasing tickets online. 

Named one of Kentucky’s Top 10 Winter/Holiday Festivals and Events by Kentucky Travel and Tourism, Southern Lights is a favorite holiday tradition throughout the Bluegrass and beyond. Southern Lights is a three-mile driving tour of lights that is a joy for the whole family!

At the end of the route, we invite you to park and explore the Holiday Village (included in admission).  The Holiday Village features photos with Santa, Santa’s North Pole Mailbox (where children can drop off their Christmas List), Animal Land, Mini Train rides, Bluegrass Miniature Train Display, and the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop.  Grab a quick snack in the village or sit down for dinner at Tootie’s Peppermint Café to complete your visit.

Public restrooms are available by the Campground Entrance, Visitor Center, and restaurant.

Have more questions? Call us (833)-KY LIGHT (833-595-4448)

Southern Lights

Address & Directions

Kentucky Horse Park *Campground Entrance*
4089 Iron Works Pike
Lexington, KY 40511

The Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance is located approximately 4 miles north of Lexington’s New Circle Road and 9 miles from downtown Lexington, and 3 miles south of Georgetown on Iron Works Pike, at I-75, exit 120. The campground’s entrance is just east of the main entrance to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Please use “Iron Works Pike” (not “Iron Works Parkway”) when using GPS service, as this will take you to the park’s main entrance, and the campground is just a half-mile down the road from there.

From Louisville:

Follow I-64 E to KY-1973/Iron Works Pike in Lexington. Take exit 120 from I-75 N.
Follow Iron Works Pike for 2 min (0.6 mi) to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance.

From Cincinnati:

Drive from I-75 S to Lexington. Take exit 120 from I-75 S.
Follow Iron Works Pike for 3 min (0.9 mi) to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance.

Southern Lights
Tootie's Menu

Frequently Asked Questions

Attractions

Besides the driving route, the Holiday Village is open and includes: Photos with Santa, exotic petting zoo, pony and camel rides, the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop, The Cozy Mercantile, Tootie’s Peppermint Cafe, Mack’s Candy Shack, The Orignal Kettle Korn, The Holiday Nut Hut, Mini Train Ride and Bluegrass Miniature Train Exhibit.  The Holiday Village is open every night from 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. except for Christmas Day. Santa’s last night is Dec. 24 before he heads back to the North Pole!

Animal land is a live exotic zoo that is located under a tent.

There will be a variety of animals, including Alpacas, Painted Desert sheep, Baby Doll sheep, Barbados sheep, Pygmy goats, Zebu cow and calf, Scottish highlander, and a white baby camel.

$1.50 feed cone, $3 cup of carrots.

$6 per pony ride, $10 for a picture & a pony ride, $6 picture on a pony only, and $6 per camel ride.

There is no age requirement to ride either a pony or a camel.

There is a 100-pound weight limit on the ponies. Weight limits are at the discretion of the camel caretakers.

The Kentucky Horse Park Gift shop will be open along with The Cozy Mercantile.

The Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop will be open during Southern Lights hours.

Dates/Time

Friday, November 24 – Friday, December 31 (Closed on Christmas Day) from 5:30-10:00 p.m. each night.

Santa is at Southern Lights nightly Nov. 24-Dec. 23., 5:30-10:00 p.m.

Nov. 25- Dec. 31. (Closed Christmas Day) from 5:30 -10:00 p.m. each night.

Directions

Kentucky Horse Park
3785 Campground Road
Lexington, KY 40511

The Kentucky Horse Park Campground is located approximately 4 miles north of Lexington’s New Circle Road and 9 miles from downtown Lexington, and 3 miles south of Georgetown on Iron Works Pike, at I-75, exit 120.

Food & Beverage

Yes, you can grab a quick snack in the village or sit down for dinner at Tootie’s Peppermint Café.

Yes!  You can sit down for a bite at Tootie’s Peppermint Café. Open the Café Menu!

Payment/Pricing

Tickets purchased online/in advance are $30 (plus processing fee) per personal car, Extended van, RV, Limousine

Tickets purchased at the ticket booth are $35 per personal car, Extended van, RV, Limousine

$100 Mini Bus
$150  School Bus
$250 Motor Coach

We encourage you to purchase tickets online at www.southernlightsky.com.  You can also purchase tickets when you arrive at Southern Lights.

Cash, check or credit/debit cards are accepted for admission to drive through the lights. Online tickets are available and encouraged. You can purchase your tickets at www.southernlightsky.com  Pony & Camel rides are cash only.

Yes, entrance to the Holiday Village is included with your Southern Lights tickets.

There are additional costs for pony rides ($6), picture and a pony ride ($10), picture on a pony only ($6), and camel ride ($6) and any food you may wish to purchase.

No

Pre-purchased tickets will be honored any day and time in if you cannot make your original designated day and time (Valid 2022 dates only). Etix customer service can help with additional ticket questions- open 9am-8pm Monday-Friday,  1-800-514-3849

$1 feed cone, $3 cup of carrots.

$6 per pony ride, $10 for a picture & a pony ride, $6 picture on a pony only, and $6 per camel ride.

No, there is no will-call available.  We encourage you to purchase tickets online at www.sourthernlightsky.com.

Pets

Leashed pets are allowed, but not in the Animal Land tent or in the Restaurant unless they are certified service animals. 

Restrooms

There are porta-lets located at the beginning of the route, along with restrooms in the Visitor Center, and restaurant.

Santa

Yes, Santa will be available for photos this year Nov. 24-Dec. 24 from 5:30-10:00 p.m.

Santa’s last night at Southern Lights is December 24th.

No. The Southern Lights entrance is one way and begins with the light displays. You will enter Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park CAMPGROUND entrance for the driving tour, arriving at Animal Land at the end of the driving route.

Traffic

Yes! Please come prepared to wait in line. On SOLD OUT nights the wait can extend to 3 hours. Bring dinner, snacks, a movie…whatever you need to keep folks entertained!

There are 3 miles of lights to see at Southern Lights.

Weeknights are typically slower than weekends. We do expect an increase of traffic this year. Historically our busiest times are from the second week in December through Christmas.

Miscellaneous

2023 Dates TBA – present any form of military/first responder ID and your vehicle receives free admission! Offer valid on those dates only.

No.  The Southern Lights Tour is a vehicle tour only for your safety, no other modes of transportation are allowed.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer carriage rides.

Due to safety concerns, riding through Southern Lights in the back of a pick-up truck or in/on a trailer that is connected to a vehicle is prohibited.

Yes, we are wheelchair accessible. *We do not offer wheelchair rentals.

Yes! Please contact the Southern Lights office by email foundation@khpfoundation.org for available options.

14 feet 4 inches

Weather

Southern Lights is open rain or shine!  On very rare occasions, when driving conditions are deemed extremely hazardous due to ice or heavy snow, we might cancel the event.  Local media outlets would carry the closing on their list of weather-related closings in that event.

The Holiday Village and its attractions are outside. Please dress for the weather.

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