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2 miles of magic: How a 3-decades long tradition lights up the night

2 miles of magic: How a 3-decades long tradition lights up the night

Lights on the Lake sees over 40,000 cars a year.

Christmas lights of multiple colors create an archway over a road.
Photo: Courtesy of Lights on the Lake

Every year for the past 36 years, after all the leaves have fallen and the gray sky moves in to blanket the surrounding area in darkness, Onondaga Lake Park does the opposite. It lights up.

Lights on the Lake is not your usual small-scale, neighborhood Christmas light display. Rather, it’s 2 miles of time tested well-planned displays, lit by more than 600,000 light bulbs.

According to organizers, this year’s displays include a larger-than-life Land of Oz, a twinkling fantasy forest, holiday traditions and a fairy-tale magic grand finale. Visitors are encouraged to tune their car radios to Sunny 102.1, which is the official station of Lights on the Lake. The lights sync up with many of your favorite holiday songs.

A figure that resembles a person is made out of christmas lights in the background is a castle also made out of green christmas lights.
Photo: Courtesy of Lights on the Lake

The event averages 40,000 cars a year and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity over the past few years. An event of this size takes months of planning and assembly to put on, which, to people who may not be familiar with the tradition, can seem like a little much. That is, until you’re there, surrounded by miles of holiday cheer.

Each year, Syracuse students make the 15-minute drive off campus and turn Lights on the Lake into their own mini field trip, especially during those few weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break where every class you take seems to have something due on the same day.

The landscape is covered in displays made out of christmas lights including many individual sculptures and a display of a house in the distance also made out of lights.
Photo: Courtesy of Lights on the Lake

The first week of Lights on the Lake included multiple charity nights, during which admission dropped to $5 per car, with 100% of that money going directly to local organizations.

Now, ticket prices are $10 Monday through Thursday and $20 Friday through Sunday. The event is open 5 to 10 p.m. every night.

Tickets must be purchased online before arrival and are capped to prohibit overcrowding. If you’re interested in attending, organizers recommend weeknights, as it’s not uncommon to find a 2-hour wait on weekends as the calendar quickly approaches the peak holiday season. The event runs until Jan. 12, 2026.