Holiday lights 2023: Bright displays light up Marin and beyond

Nothing can fill you with the holiday spirit like seeing lights, lots and lots of lights, blazing and twinkling in the darkness of winter nights.

That’s the magic of so many festive lights displays around the Bay Area. Some are presented by parks, gardens, churches and historic sites. Others are organized by groups of neighbors and creative homeowners, who turn their streets and their front yards into winter wonderlands with theme-park level, light-and-music-filled extravaganzas.

Here is a selection of some of the best holiday displays. Unless otherwise specified, all events are free.

Tam Valley fun

Welcome back, the Tam Valley MegaTree. It’s hard to miss the nearly 30 feet tall pole-and-lights tree of more than 3,000 individually controlled LED lights that are computer programmed to perform dozens of different patterns and synchronized to holiday music on 96.1 FM. The show features eight different songs and changes nightly. And while you’re there, keep your eyes peeled for Santa Claus in an upstairs window.

“When it started, it was about 10 feet — a little baby tree by comparison,” Jeff Brown, who puts up the tree in his front yard, told the IJ in 2019. “Now, it’s huge. It’s something that everyone enjoys. I like giving back and in the Tam Valley, there is that amazing sense of community.”

Details: Take a look from 5 to 10 p.m. daily through New Year’s Day at 340 Jean St. in Tam Valley. For more information, go to facebook.com/tamvalleymegatree.

Parade of lights

Santa Claus forgoes his flying sleigh for a floating one at the annual San Rafael Lighted Boat Parade. Get in the holiday spirit and watch dozens of festively decorated boats, kayaks and yachts parade down the San Rafael Canal. Some recommended places to watch the family-friendly festivities include the back of the Montecito Plaza Shopping Center, Point San Pedro Road and Third Street, around the San Rafael Yacht Club and Pickleweed Park and Pickleweed Community Center at 50 Canal St. in San Rafael.

Details: It’s at 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at the San Rafael Canal. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/SanRafaelLightedBoatParade.

Rooms of fun

Come be dazzled by more than 125,000 sparkling lights across seven curated rooms at the Lights at Northgate Mall, a new indoor holiday lights experience put together by San Francisco Holiday Lighting, a full-service holiday lighting and décor installation company. From twinkling fairy lights to stunning light installations, each room boasts a unique experience and theme, such as the interactive Kid Zone with LED dance floor and neon chalk art wall, the Tropical Room with lighted palm trees and surfboards and driftwood wreaths, and the Arctic Room with glistening snowflakes and drop lights.

Details: Come by through Dec. 30; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, with entry times by the hour starting at noon and the last entry time is 7 p.m. at the Northgate Mall at 5800 Northgate Drive in San Rafael. It’s closed on Christmas Day. Admission is $12 for kids and $22 for adults; those under 12 months are free. Get tickets and more information at thelightsatnorthgatemall.com.

Deacon Dave’s display

Get ready to be dazzled by at least 750,000 lights glowing around the home of Deacon Dave Rezendes. This is the 40th year that Rezendes, a deacon at St. Michael Parish in Livermore, has put on this display at his Casa del Pomba. His extravaganza has been showcased on cable and international TV; only the global COVID-19 pandemic could force Rezendes to skip doing the display in 2020.

Details: Nightly through Jan. 1 at 352 Hillcrest Ave. in Livermore; casadelpomba.com.

Glowfari

The Oakland Zoo hosts one of the Bay Area’s most unusual holiday displays, with gorgeous, detailed, larger-than-life animal lanterns arrayed around the zoo’s 525 acres. On a crisp winter eve, visitors can stroll around the zoo and meet magnificent, glowing elephants and giraffes from Africa, pass through a tropical rainforest, time travel back to the age of the dinosaurs, and visit with mountain lions, wolves, polar bears and other iconic North American wildlife.

Details: Open from 5 to 9 p.m. most nights through Jan. 28 (closed Christmas Eve and Day). Admission is $22 to $26; www.oaklandzoo.org.

Historic lights

Immerse yourself in classic holiday elegance with a visit to Woodside’s century-old Filoli estate. Inside the stately mansion, elaborately decorated trees radiate celebration in the grand dining room and other elegantly appointed spaces. But what’s especially magical about Filoli during the holidays are the 25 miles of twinkling lights arrayed around the extensive garden, as well as a 210-foot-long light tunnel. Santa will be available for selfies on weekends, and visitors can pause their tour to enjoy mulled wine or hot whiskey cider around fire pits on the Dining Room Terrace or the Woodland Terrace.

Details: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Jan. 7 at 86 Cañada Road in Woodside. Filoli will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Admission is $23 to $43; https://filoli.org.

Lights of Livermore 

There are still tickets available — though they may not last long — to taste some great Livermore wine and enjoy a one-hour trolley ride around Livermore to see the town’s biggest and brightest holiday displays. This includes a stop at Riesling Circle, where more than two dozen homes are elaborately decked out with lights. The trolley rides start at historic Concannon Vineyard, where you can taste a flight of wines before boarding the trolley. There also are trolley rides nightly for families, at which no alcohol is served.

Details: Rides run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 23 at 4590 Tesla Road in Livermore. Tickets are $33 to $73 per person. Go to www.livermorewinetrolley.com. 

Lights and music

On this cul-de-sac near Santa Teresa County Park in San Jose, Bobby and Genee Bimbi present a light and music spectacle that has become a favorite destination for people in their neighborhood and beyond. More than 45,000 lights are arrayed around their front yard, while holiday scenes flash across the front of the house. Visitors can also listen to their music on 99.5 FM and make donations to Toys for Tots.

Details: Weather permitting, show runs 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursday, and 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays through Dec. 31 at 259 Kaybe Court in San Jose; www.facebook.com/bobbyandgeneeholidaylights

Alex Dourov’s extravaganza

This home show by the founder of the California Christmas Lights website offers a mix of old-school decorations that Dourov has accumulated over the past 30 years and high-tech light and sound effects, as well as a snow machine, a dancing 6-foot-tall “Joy” sign and penguins around a campfire. Kids are invited to make calls to Santa, and guests can listen to music from the sidewalk or on 107.9 FM from their car.

Details: Nightly through Dec. 29 at 467 Knottingham Circle in Livermore; http://californiachristmaslights.com/

Willow Glen, San Jose

Year after year, residents in a five-block area of this central San Jose neighborhood decorate their homes in their own unique ways, but expect to find plenty of brightly lit archways, light poles, candy canes, giant snow people and Santas and his reindeer. San Jose Bike Brew, which operates tours of bars, breweries and other local hot spots via 15-passenger cycles, can also take groups on one-hour tours of the neighborhood.

Details: Nightly through the holiday season. Streets to visit include Glen Echo, Glen Eyrie, Glen Brook and Cherry avenues, as well as Camino Ramon, Camino Pablo and Camino Ricardo.

Temple Hill, Oakland

The spectacular gardens of the Mormon Temple, visible from many parts of the Bay Area, make an ideal location to create a holiday lights display. Against the white granite of the temple, thousands of lights are arrayed around the garden, which features fountains and lush flora. There’s also a pool, surrounded by 42 towering palm trees and leading to a glowing manager scene. The lights also illuminate the five golden spires atop the temple.

Details: Nightly, from dusk to 9:15 p.m. through Dec. 31 at 4770 Lincoln Ave. in Oakland; https://templehill.org/christmas-lights-at-the-oakland-temple

Crippsmas Place, Fremont

For six decades, residents of the 70 homes in this north Fremont neighborhood have illuminated their front yards and raised larger-than-life plywood cutouts of favorite cartoon characters in a representation of community solidarity and goodwill. They’ve also used their displays to raise money for worthy causes. This year, visitors can donate to six local organizations, as well as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Santa and Mrs. Claus will pay visits on the evenings of Dec. 10, 11, 17, 18 and 19, and the Mission Peak Chamber Singers will perform on Dec. 17.

Details: 6 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 31 on Nicolet Avenue, Cripps Place and surrounding streets in Fremont; www.crippsmasplace.org.

Lights in the cacti

During the fifth annual “Garden of d’Lights,” visitors can meander along the paths of the 3.5-acre Ruth Bancroft Garden, where its world-famous collection of gorgeous cacti and other succulents and drought-tolerant plants are presented with fantastical and specially-programmed lasers and thousands of LED lights.

Details: 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays through Jan. 6 at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek. Admission is $12 to $29 and must be purchased ahead; www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/garden-of-dlights

Merry merry-go-round

The famous Tilden Park carousel in Berkeley becomes a winter wonderland during the holidays, festooned with bright, colorful lights and graced by visits from Santa and his elves and Olaf the Snowman.

Details: 4 to 8 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends through Jan. 7. Closed Christmas Eve and Day. It’s at Tilden Regional Park at the intersection of Central Park Drive and Lake Anza Road in Berkeley. Tickets cost $4 each, and reservations are recommended; https://tildenmerrygoround.org

Christmas on a hill

Climb the hill at West Hills Community Church in Morgan Hill to watch a synchronized musical light display and explore the dazzling light tunnels, decorated trees and hand-painted, life-sized displays. This is the show’s third year in this distinctive hillside location, and free hot chocolate is poured for everyone.

Details: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. weekends through Dec. 24 at 16695 DeWitt Ave. in Morgan Hill, with a special Christmas Eve service at 4 p.m. Dec. 24; https://www.westhills.org

Christmas in the park

The beloved San Jose tradition offers two ways to see lights and other festive displays. The popular walk-through takes place in the heart of downtown in Plaza de Cesar Chavez with a 65-foot illuminated tree and a forest of pines decorated by San José schools, community groups and businesses. A separate drive-thru light show takes place at San Jose’s History Park.

Details: The walk-through in Plaza de Cesar Chavez is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily at 1 Paseo de San Antonio. The History Park drive-thru runs through Jan. 1, starting at 5 p.m. at 635 Phelan Ave. in San Jose. Tickets are $30 to $35 per car, and reservations are recommended;  www.christmasinthepark.com

Fantasy of Lights

The 25th annual show at Vasona Lake County Park offers one of the Bay Area’s most popular drive-thru holiday displays, with a 1.5-mile route taking families through a fantasyland of lights, animated figures and a 90-foot twinkling tree, courtesy of the Santa Clara County Parks Department.

Details: 6 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 30 (closed Christmas Day). The route starts at 333 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos. Tickets ($39 per standard vehicle, $50 for oversized) must be purchased ahead online; https://parks.sccgov.org/fantasy-lights-2023

Christmas Tree Lane, Alameda

This cooperative effort, put on by more than 50 households, is in its 85th year. Local groups will perform, and kids can drop off letters to Santa in a specially designated mailbox that routes them to the North Pole. Santa also will stop by on certain nights to visit with kids.

Details: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31 at the 3200 block of Thomson Avenue, between High Street and Fernside Boulevard, in Alameda; www.facebook.com/christmastreelane.

Christmas Tree Lane, Palo Alto

For the 82nd year, residents along this stretch of Fulton Street, off Embarcadero, will put on a show radiating old-fashioned charm, elegance and history, with front yards decorated with lights and glowing, larger-than-life cutouts of Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men.

Details: 5 to 11 p.m. Dec. 16 to 31 at 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Street in Palo Alto; www.christmastreelane.org

A festive ride

People passing along bustling Estudillo Avenue into downtown San Leandro may do a double-take as they pass the home of real estate broker Antonio Cardenas. Santa Claus is in his front yard, not driving a sleigh but an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage. Of course, it’s not a real horse, carriage or Santa, but an elaborate and eco-friendly display created by Cardenas. It’s mostly made of recyclable materials, including plastic water bottles, chicken wire and landscaping materials, topped with lights, tinsel and adorable stuffed animals.

Details: Nightly through Jan. 1 at 975 Estudillo Ave. in San Leandro, californiachristmaslights.com

Widmer world

For more than 30 years, the Widmer family of Pleasanton has presented a popular home display that includes a Big Tree of red and green lights, giant “Peace on Earth” sign and a tunnel of decorated trees, displays of popular cartoon characters and elaborate arrangements of life-sized Santas, reindeer and snowpeople.

Details: Nightly through Jan. 1, weather permitting, at 3671 Chelsea Court in Pleasanton; http://widmer-world.com

Foster Family Christmas

Known as the local “holiday guy,” Steven Foster does a display that goes from Halloween to Christmas. As soon as he’s taken down his elaborate Halloween display — a mix of “Haunted Mansion” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” — he begins mounting his North Pole-themed show, which seems to get bigger every year and always includes music, inflatable figures and a “Letters to Santa” box.

Details: 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly through Jan. 5 at 411 Topaz St. in Redwood City; www.instagram.com/fostersholidays/.

Hockey-playing penguins

After you pass under an arch spanning this residential street, you’ll come to a front yard, filled with reindeer, an animated train and a flock of hockey-playing penguins. The owners of this home also present two musical lights shows every half hour, stepping up the frequency to every 15 minutes on Dec. 20. One show is set to a version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” by Straight No Chaser, and the other to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas in Sarajevo.” You can also listen to the music from your car on 89.1 FM.

Details: 6 to 9 p.m. nightly through December at 1419 Lamore Drive in San Jose; https://lamorelights.com/wp/

Winter wonderland 

A 19-foot singing tree, the Grinch doing Grinch things and Mickey and Minnie riding in Santa’s sleigh with the elves helping to pass out packages. These figures, plus more than 10,000 lights, are among the highlights of this popular, computer-controlled display created by homeowner Michael Wright. You can also listen to the music from your car on 93.3 FM.

Details: 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 31 at 733 Solitude Drive in Oakley; http://californiachristmaslights.com/

Nights of lights

Half Moon Bay’s picturesque downtown transforms into a festival of lights on Friday nights, when visitors can stroll by decorated store windows and shop for gifts. The town also hosts two special events: an ugly sweater party on Dec. 8 and a holiday movie night with “Elf” on Dec. 15.

Details: 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays through Dec. 15 at Main Street in Half Moon Bay; www.visithalfmoonbay.org.

Giant Santa 

This Newark home, a contender on the ABC show, “Great Christmas Light Fight,” features a 33-foot inflatable Santa, a 20-foot inflatable snow man, some very large candy canes and singing Christmas trees. You can listen to the music on 88.1 FM.

Details: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly through Jan. 1 at 6716 Fountaine Ave. in Newark; http://californiachristmaslights.com