Top Places to Celebrate the Holidays in Cincinnati, OH

One of the best things about the holiday season is all the fun activities that go on. In and around the Cincinnati area, you’ll have plenty of fun to choose from and things to keep you busy all season. Make sure to plan your holidays around all these fun Cincinnati events.

PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo

Image via Flickr by Uriel 1988

Head to the Cincinnati Zoo to take in their annual festival of lights. This display has over 4 million LED lights and all your favorite zoo animals. Every year, the zoo turns into a winter wonderland complete with Fiona fairies in Fairyland, a blacklight puppet show, costumed characters, and a Wild Lights show on Swan lake.

For the 2021 festival, you need to reserve tickets ahead of time, but your festival experience comes with your zoo admission. Start the day early at the zoo where you can visit with all the animals, and then stay through the evening for the lights.

Some of the other events that take place at the zoo include:

• Santa’s Village: Santa’s Village opens every day at 4 p.m. The kids can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
• MadCap Winter Wonders: Three live performances will take place each night at the Wings of Wonder Bird Amphitheater.
• Polar Express Train Rides: Train rides begin at 2:30 p.m. each day.
• Polar Express Train Tunnel: The 2021 light tunnel for the Polar Express will be longer than ever.
• Smore’s Stations.
• Photo Opp spots and Elfie Selfies.
• Scavenger Hunt.

It all starts on November 19 and runs through January 9, 2022.

A Christmas Carol at Playhouse in the Park

The annual performance of A Christmas Carol at The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a must. This timeless Christmas show runs for just over two hours, making it appropriate for ages five and up. The best thing about The Playhouse’s version of this classic is that it uses thrilling special effects and hundreds of costumes to tell the story.

The show runs from November 4 through December 30.

Light up the Square and Downtown Dazzle

Light up the Square returns for 2021 and will kick off Cincinnati’s holiday season. The fun gets started at 6 p.m., with live music, a fireworks display, and a visit from Santa. The tree lighting ceremony will take place at 7:25 p.m, followed by live music from 2nd Wind Band.

Downtown Dazzle, presented by United Dairy Farmers, is one of the biggest events of the holiday season. The music and festivities start at 6:30 p.m. with the Downtown Dazzle show beginning at 7 p.m. Santa will rappel down a highrise, and the night will also include a fantastic fireworks display.

Light Up the Square takes place on November 26, and the Downtown Dazzle runs from Saturday Nov. 27 through Saturday Dec. 18.

Holiday Junction Featuring the Duke Energy Holiday Trains

Make sure to stop by the Cincinnati Museum Center for their signature holiday experience. This annual holiday event started back in 1946 and has entertained generations of locals and visitors ever since.

The track-level train setup provides guests with a view of all the details of the display. It has over 300 rail cars powered by 60 locomotives that run through the snow creating lots of holiday cheer. Holiday Junction is more than just a train display; it’s an experience that starts as soon as you walk through the door. The Northern Lights display is a perfect backdrop for family photos, and an interactive storybook display tells the history of the Duke Energy Holiday Trains.

This year’s event will also include a Holiday Scavenger Hunt with hidden objects in the garden railway, and Brickopolis will return for the 2021 event. This huge LEGO display showcases scenes from Disney, Marvel, DC Comics, and Harry Potter. Of course, Santa will also be a part of this holiday celebration. He arrives on Friday, Nov. 26.

Holiday Junction gets started on November 12 and runs through January 3.

The Krohn Conservatory Trains and Traditions, A Cincinnati Holiday

The Krohn Conservatory will once again open up for its annual holiday celebration. This year’s theme is Trains and Traditions, A Cincinnati Holiday. Make sure to visit, so you can see the colorful garden railways, replicas of Cincinnati landmarks created by local artisans, and the colorful poinsettias.

The holiday show will run from November 6 through January 9.

Scuba Santa at the Newport Aquarium

No holiday season is complete without a visit from scuba Santa. This fun family activity takes place at the Newport Aquarium and has playful penguins, holiday lights, and a shark tank. Scuba Santa will fill the theater with magical bubbles that will float all around you. Santa’s elves will also be there to join in on the fun, and you and the kids can even make a stop at the special post office, where the kids can write their holiday wish on a magic bubble.

Scuba Santa will be at the aquarium from November 26 through December 24.

Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion

Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion is the ultimate light show. The display features over 3.8 million lights and a two-mile-long drive-through experience. The 2021 theme is “Christmas Around the World,” and you can enjoy it from the warmth and comfort of your own car.

Christmas Glow is more than just a light display; it also features Santa’s Workshop, where the kids can have pictures taken with Santa, and the Christmas Village, where you can stroll through a classic holiday display. The village has a 45-foot Christmas tree, caroling, and hot cocoa.

The drive-through experience runs from November 24 through December 30 and is open from 6 p.m. to10 p.m. Land of Illusion Adventure Part is on Thomas Road in Middlebury, Ohio.

These are some of our favorite Cincinnati area holiday events. Do you know of some others that should make the list? Give us a call or stop by Performance King’s Honda to tell us about it. We’d love to go check it out and then add it to our favorites.

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