Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — You haven’t even bought the Thanksgiving turkey yet, but the Christmas spirit and its variety of events has already blanketed the calendar.
And with the year that 2020 has been, who would possibly complain about early festivities?
Indianapolis always takes its holidays seriously, offering a varied slate of in-person events, drive-through experiences and virtual options.
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A few favorites include:
Circle of Lights on Monument Circle. The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the lighting of the largest Christmas tree in the world. The actual lighting will be virtual instead of the typical 100,000-plus crowd, but visitors can come downtown through the new year to experience what Travelocity deemed one of the top five must-see Christmas trees in the nation.
Winterlights at Newfields. For four years now, Newfields has rolled out the red carpet for their annual holiday experience featuring 1.5 million lights decorating the campus, a jaw-dropping light show on the famed Lilly House Lawn, and snacks and beverages for all to enjoy. Once again, Winterlights has aligned itself as one of the Midwest’s must-see holiday experiences of the season.
Christmas at the Zoo. The Indianapolis Zoo was the first zoo in the U.S. to hold a holiday lights event, and since its debut, Christmas at the Zoo has become a fan-favorite for both Indy residents and visitors alike.
Indy’s Christmas Nights of Lights. This provides a 35-minute interactive drive-through experience at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and boasts more than a million lights across dozens of displays.
Indiana History Center’s Festival of Trees offers a chance to explore its annual exhibition online thanks to 360-degree viewing technology.
Other can’t-miss holiday attractions include Jolly Days at the world’s largest children’s museum, Jingle Rails’ locomotive wonderland at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Celebration Crossing at the Indiana State Museum and A Merry Prairie Holiday at Conner Prairie.
Information: visitindy.com
