LOOKING FOR 2009 CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAYS? CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATED LIST.

There are so many great Christmas and holiday light displays in Northern Virginia and the DC Metro area this late fall and winter 2008.  If you are looking for a fun, family activity, try going to one of the following:

IN VIRGINIA:
If you’re looking to drive around and see residential holiday lighting displays, then check out Holly’s Tacky Christmas Lights which has a list, photos, maps, and even suggested driving routes to over-the-top Christmas lighting in Fairfax County, VA.

Bull Run Festival of Lights
LOCATION: Bull Run Regional Park
7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA 20121.
DATES/HOURS: Open 7 days a week, from Wednesday, November 26, 2008 – Sunday, January 4, 2009.
Monday – Thursday & Sunday: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Fridays, Saturdays & holidays*:  5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. *(Holidays include Christmas Eve and New Years Eve)
FEES: Sunday – Thursday: $15 Cars or vans (1-14 people); $25 Van (15-34 people); $50 Bus (35 or more  people).
Friday, Saturday, & Holidays: $20 Cars or vans (1-14 people); $30 Van (15-34 people); $55 Bus (35 or more people).
$3 Off Coupon good for vehicles Monday through Friday. Coupon not usuable on Saturday, Sunday or holidays, including Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.

DESCRIPTION: Everyone’s favorite Northern Virginia holiday tradition returns with its biggest and best light show ever! For more than 11 years the Bull Run Festival of Lights at Bull Run Regional Park has drawn thousands of visitors from hundreds of miles away to Centreville, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. The Bull Run Festival of Lights will be held to celebrate the winter holiday season. The event sees more than 30,000 cars each season, over 130,000 people! The Bull Run Festival of Lights is so much more than just a light show! After almost two and a half miles of beautiful light displays, treat yourself and your family to our Holiday Village. Complete with an ice skating rink, food and gift vendors, carnival rides and more, the Holiday Village is the perfect end to a perfect evening of holiday fun! And don’t forget to get your picture taken with Santa! New features this year include a spectacular Wizard of Oz light show as well as the walk through light show at the Holiday Village. Contact Details: Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, Virginia 20121 www.NVRPA.org 703-631-0550. Holiday hotline: 703-359-4633.

Burke & Herbert Holiday Boat Parade of Lights
LOCATION: The Alexandria, VA Marina
At the foot of Cameron Street, Behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA 22314.
DATES/HOURS: Saturday, December 6, 2008, 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Entertainment, refreshments & Santa at Alexandria Marina & Torpedo Factory Art Center
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights at Alexandria Marina
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Washington Channel Holiday Boat Parade of Lights at Water St. off of Maine Avenue, Washington, DC.

DESCRIPTION: Alexandria’s harbor lights up when more than 50 brightly lit sailing and powered leisure boats cruise along the Potomac River at the City’s historic waterfront. Festivities on the docks of the Alexandria Marina to include Santa arriving by the Fireboat Vigilant with pictures for kids and canines, Alexandria Holiday Review and more. For more information on related events, call (703) 838-5005.

IN WASHINGTON, DC:

ZooLights
LOCATION: The National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008.
DATES/HOURS: November 28, 2008 – December 14, 2008 (Friday through Sunday nights): 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
December 18, 2008 – December 30, 2008 (Every night except December 24-25): 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
FEES: FONZ members: $6 Members; Nonmembers: $12; Groups of 25: $200. FONZ members can buy groups of four tickets for $20. Kids under two are FREE.
Tickets are available at the Zoo’s Visitor Center every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Tickets purchased at the Zoo have no service fees) or by Ticketmaster.
$2 off coupons for nonmember tickets will be available at participating area Giant Food stores beginning the week of November 10.

DESCRIPTION: Don’t miss your chance to meander through the Zoo when it is covered with thousands of sparkling lights, attend special keeper talks, and enjoy live entertainment.
What’s more, this year’s event features more animal light displays than last year. And the event space is bigger, too—all the way from Panda Plaza to Kids’ Farm. Plus, they’re adding dancing trees in the Panda Plaza and near Lion/Tiger Hill.
But that’s not all. Every evening, friends from Pepco (electric service provider) educate visitors about simple practices they can adopt in their households to save energy.
And last but not least, visitors have the chance to see lots of animals. The Small Mammal House, Great Ape House, Reptile Discovery Center, Think Tank, and Kids’ Farm will be open every night.

85th Annual Lighting of the National Christmas Tree
LOCATION: Tree is located on the Ellipse, south of the White House, Washington, DC.
DATES/HOURS: December 4, 5:00 p.m.

DESCRIPTION: The opening ceremony for the 85th Annual Lighting of the National Christmas Tree will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., and marks the opening of the three-week event sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, the official charitable partner of America’s National Parks. The gates will open for all ticket holders at 3:30 p.m. For security reasons, all guests must be in their seats by 4:30 p.m. This year’s talent line up for the opening ceremony will offer a diverse program of holiday music, including traditional songs, with dashes of Texas swing, Latin rhythms, and a little Motown. Artists include one of country music’s most promising young stars, Rissi Palmer; multiple Grammy winner Jon Secada; and popular Nashville singer/songwriter Phil Vassar. Washington-based dance troupe Step Afrika! will perform, and the U. S. Army Chorus’s SFC Steve Cramer will appear as Santa Claus, rounding out the show will be 4-year-old singer Kaitlyn Maher, who came to national attention as one of the ten finalists in this year’s “America’s Got Talent” competition. The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” under the baton of Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr. will be this year’s featured service band, with The Enterprise High School Encores from Enterprise, Alabama providing vocal support to the guest artists as well as solo performances of holiday favorites.
The National Park Service distributed 2,800 free tickets on a first-come first served basis, on November 1, 2008, beginning at 8:00 a.m. (and sold out by 8:22 a.m.) at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion near the corner of 15th and E Streets, NW, just southeast of the White House grounds. A maximum of four tickets are issued per person. Tickets are required for every attendee, including children.

History of the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree:
For 85 years, the American tradition of lighting a national Christmas Tree has continued, interrupted only briefly in its history during moments of great national travail.  In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit a “Community Christmas Tree” on behalf of “all Americans.” A Senator from Vermont, Coolidge’s home state, arranged for a cut fir tree from Middlebury College to be erected in President’s Park (The Ellipse) for lighting.  President Coolidge declined to speak at the ceremony, but he did push a button switch to light a 60-foot tree. Later that evening, the Marine Band performed in concert near the tree.
Sir Winston Churchill appeared on the South Porch with President Roosevelt for the lighting ceremony in 1941. Both men delivered Christmas messages to the gathered throng before sharing the official lighting duties. By the next year, Washington was under a war-imposed blackout. Lights were placed on the tree in 1942 but never lit, and the tree remained ‘dark’ from 1942 through 1944.
In 1954, the lighting ceremony was named “The Christmas Pageant of Peace,” and a “Pathway of Peace” was established featuring smaller, decorated trees – one for each state and territory.
In 1963, the tree was not lit until December 22, after a service at the Lincoln Memorial, concluding a 30-day period of national mourning that followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The beautiful Colorado blue spruce that serves as the current National Christmas Tree was planted on the Ellipse in the fall of 1978. Brought to Washington, DC by the National Park Service from a York, Pennsylvania farm, this 40-foot tree has proven to be a hardy specimen. In 2003, the tree celebrated a quarter century of service as the National Christmas Tree.

IN MARYLAND:

Symphony of Lights in Columbia Symphony Woods
LOCATION: In downtown Columbia’s Symphony Woods at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044.
DATES/HOURS: Monday, November 24, 2008 – Sunday, January 4, 2009 (Closed Dec. 24-25). Hours: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
FEES: Vehicles holding up to 11 passengers: $20 per car; holding 12-24 passengers: $35 per vehicle; holding 25 or more passengers: $125 per bus.
$5 Off Coupon per car on admission valid Monday – Thursday.

DESCRIPTION: An outing to the Symphony of Lights, now in its 15th year, is a long-standing tradition for Howard and neighboring county residents. A spectacular display of more than 70 larger-than-life, animated and stationary light creations, it is a “must-see” during the holiday season. All proceeds from the Christmas light display benefit the services of Howard County General Hospital.
Walk thrus are now available for groups of 50 or more. Take in the lights on foot, for a special holiday evening. $5.00 per person. “Walk thrus” are available from 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. each day that Symphony of Lights is in operation. Reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 410-740-7570 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

13th Annual Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park
LOCATION: Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878.
DATES/HOURS: Preview on Friday, November 28 – Saturday, November 29, 2008 and open Friday, December 5, 2008 – Saturday, January 3, 2009.  Sunday-Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  Friday and Saturday 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.  Closed Christmas and New Year’s Day.

FEES: $10 per car Sunday-Thursday 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. $12 per car Friday and Saturday 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
$2 off coupon valid Monday through Thursday only, are available at the Guest Services Desk at Lakeforest Shopping Center, 701 Russell Avenue (Exit 11 – East off of I-270) in Gaithersburg.

DESCRIPTION: Winter Lights features more than 380 illuminated vignettes and 65 animated displays in a 3.5 mile drive through beautiful Seneca Creek State Park. Theme areas include Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, North Pole, Toyland, and Penguin Cove. Proceeds Benefit Local Charities. For more information call City of Gaithersburg Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture 301-258-6350 x120.

22nd Annual Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park
LOCATION: Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.
DATES/HOURS: Friday, November 28, 2008 – Thursday, January 1, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
FEES: $5 per car; $15 for mini-buses and limos; $25 for buses; $10 for multi-visit passes for cars and vans. Each multi visit pass is good for three visits and is transferable.
The festival is FREE on December 25.

DESCRIPTION: Winter Festival of Lights is Prince George’s County, Maryland’s spectacular drive-through Christmas light display featuring more than a million twinkling lights.
Canned goods donations for local food banks are greatly appreciated.

Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens
LOCATION: Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902.
DATES/HOURS: Friday, November 28, 2008 – Sunday, January 4, 2009. Closed December 24 and 25. HOURS: 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., last car admitted 8:30 p.m. NOTE: December 31st, last car admitted at 9:30 p.m. for “First Night” celebration.
FEES: Cars/Vans (Monday – Thursday – weeknight discount rate): $15 (cash only);
Car/Vans (Friday – Sunday): $20 (cash only).
Advance Sale Tickets: $15 (available starting November 1). Tickets are good for any night and may be purchased in advance at the Conservatory or Visitors Center Gift Shops during posted gift shop hours, using cash, check or credit. Advanced ticket holders must enter the gardens after 5:30 p.m. with normal flow of traffic (no early admission).
Buses please register in advance at 301-962-1457.
Bus Fees: 15-24 passenger buses: $50; 25-35 passenger buses: $75; 36-57 passenger buses: $120.

DESCRIPTION: This illuminated outdoor winter garden walk includes a whimsical monster, an enchanting persimmon tree, a walk through kaleidoscope caterpillar, an animated flying cardinal, and swimming geese over sparkling water.
Vivaldi may have composed the music called the “Four Seasons”, but Brookside Garden brings the four seasons to life with more than 700,000 colorful lights shaped in imaginative displays of giant summer sunflowers, falling autumn leaves, winter snowflakes, spring flowers, rain showers, and more. As you walk along the easily accessible paths you’ll see what sets this light show apart from others, it’s the hundreds of wrapped trees and shrubs, beautifully lighted gazebos, cascading fountains, and the individually formed displays in the shapes of blooming flowers, and wild animals. This festive, secular light show now in its 12th season is a popular family tradition in the Washington, DC area drawing close to 40,000 visitors each winter to the sights and sounds of the interactive displays. Garden of Lights Hotline: 301-962-1453.

Lights on the Bay at Sandy Point State Park
LOCATION: Sandy Point State Park (along Route 50), 1100 East College Pkwy, Annapolis, MD 21401.
DATES/HOURS: Friday, November 21, 2008 – Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
FEES: $14 per car, $28 per minibus or trolley, and $50 per coach bus.

DESCRIPTION: An annual scenic drive through holiday lights show sponsored by the Anne Arundel Medical Center.
This light show features more than 70 illuminated and animated displays along the shores of the scenic Chesapeake Bay. This year’s celebration features three lighted tunnels, a colonial village modeled after historic Annapolis and a display of Midshipmen tossing their hats in the air.
Proceeds benefit the Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation and tickets can be purchased at the park gate. For more information, contact Anne Arundel Medical Center at (443) 481-3161.

Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights
Annapolis Christmas Lights Boat Parade.
LOCATION: The Annapolis City Harbor, Annapolis, MD.
DATES/HOURS: December 13, 2008, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Enjoy a parade of lights when more than 70 power and sailboats show off their holiday decorations. Free event. Wherever you go, be there before 6:00 p.m., when the darkened harbor suddenly bursts into light. It’s an impressive moment!
Dress warmly – comfort over style. It’s amazing how cold it can get when you stand in one spot for a couple of hours.
Remember, there will be two fleets changing positions every hour or so. Don’t leave just because the boats seem to.
Radio: WNAV Radio 1430 will be providing live coverage of the parade with roving reporters from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will report the winners at 10:00 pm. Winners also will be announced over marine radio, Channel 72, at 10:00 p.m.

Where to Watch the Parade:
Eastport Bridge: If it’s a warm or still night, this is the best vantage point. You can see the fleets both above and below the bridge and get a close-up look as they pass through the bridge. Note: The bridge will be closed to vehicles but will open before the parade, at 6:45 p.m., and again at 7:45 p.m.
Naval Academy: The length of seawall bordering Spa Creek offers a long, unobstructed viewing area. Check ahead for Naval Academy security regulations that will be in effect.
City Dock: This perennial favorite spot for viewers was closed last year for renovations. No update on whether it will be open this year. See “Other Spots” below.
Other Spots: If you have friends with offices, homes, or boats along the harbor this might be a nice time to renew acquaintances. Otherwise, the walkway in front of Annapolis City Marina Building in Eastport, or any of the streets that dead-end at the harbor or Spa Creek, are good spots to view the parade.
Parking will be restricted and limited in many places near the Annapolis Harbor. Parking will be available at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium off Rowe Boulevard. A Free Shuttle will run between Stadium and downtown between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. After the Parade of Lights, the main loading area for the shuttle buses will be at Lawyer’s Mall on College Avenue in front of the State Capitol Building. Call (410) 267-9549 for more information.