Driving through millions of bright, dazzling holiday lights is the perfect way to spend a day in December before Christmas. Nothing is better than enjoying the magic of holiday lights from the comfort of your car filled with your family, who make the holidays memorable.
Each year, Shady Brook Farm, located in Yardley, Pennsylvania, hosts their annual holiday light show. Shady Brook Farms is a family-owned farm that is over 100 years old. The farm includes a garden center, homegrown fruits and vegetables, quality plants, and seasonal events. Shady Brook Farm’s Annual Holiday Light Show usually begins mid-November and ends shortly after the new year. There is a large variety of ticket types that can be purchased online. There are private wagon rides that hold up to 75 to 80 people that vary in price. The drive-through is the more popular ticket option, requiring only one ticket per car. Tickets for car prices range from 45 to $50, depending on the day of the week. Prices are higher on Fridays and on the weekends.
On Monday, December 18, I was able to experience the light show for myself. My family and I chose the 7:30 to 8 p.m. timeslot to view the lights. I assumed the light show would be overly crowded a week before Christmas. However, we enjoyed the light show with barely any traffic. The ride to the light show was exhilarating, and pulling up the farm was my favorite sight. You could see all the Christmas lights over the large land. It was truly magical. Many signs ensure you are headed the right way for the drive-through when you enter the farm. We pulled up to a booth where a kind gentleman greeted us and asked for our ticket. We had our ticket on our phone, which made it simple without fear of losing it. There are signs when you pull up to tune into radio station 90.7 to enjoy Christmas music on your magical drive. The lights were overwhelming in the best way when we began our drive through them. There were lights on both sides of us, and there were so many places that we could look. The first set of lights we drove through was the 12 Days of Christmas. On both sides of the road, lights went along with the song. Many lights were Christmas-related, including Santa’s sleigh, reindeer, and workshop. Christmas sayings like “Believe” and “Noel” were scattered throughout the farm. The Grinch was one of my family’s and my favorite Christmas-inspired light displays. Right next to him was also a display of his dog, Max.
Christmas lights weren’t the only lights on display. Different sports, including hockey, basketball, cheerleading, and many others were also shown through the lights. The farm even set up some of the lights so they looked like they were moving. For example, we watched a basketball player shift his position to shoot a ball in a basketball net. My mom was the most impressed, saying, “I have never seen anything like this before.” Along with sports-themed lights, there were also lights for places worldwide. Some of these lights included the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty. My personal favorite was the lights inspired by fairytales. It was enchanting to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Cinderella. Seeing that not all the lights related to Christmas was an enjoyable surprise. There was something to see and enjoy for everyone.
A neat part of the light show was driving through a forest area filled with trees. There were trees surrounding us that the farm had wrapped in different colored Christmas lights. We even got to drive under a light tunnel. My best friend, a sophomore in college, Lily Maxwell came home to explore the lights with my family and me. She said, “My favorite part about the light show was the tunnel and all the trees. It was so unique and driving under the sparkling lights was special. I’m glad I got to go for the first time.” Although the tickets may be considered pricey, Maxwell says, “It was worth it, and I would 100% go again.” Like Maxwell, Bela Baldovin, a senior at Pennridge High School, also attended the light show this year and agreed that it was worth the price. Baldovin said, “I do think the light show was worth the price because you can have up to eight people in your car, and you can split the price. It was very well done!” Taking a full car to the show would be a smart idea. You could split the ticket between eight people, each paying approximately $5. Unlike my experience, Baldovin went to see the show on the weekend. She stated, “It was so crowded when I went. I was waiting in the line to get in for 30 minutes because it was on the weekend.” Avoiding the weekend might be a smart plan while purchasing tickets.
The fun does not stop after the drive-through. You can stop at the farm and walk through the candy cane walk, which is free with the purchase of any ticket for the light show. You can take many selfies with your family and friends and enjoy the Christmas magic here. There were also fire pits available where you could roast your s’mores. Although the light show is closed for the season, I recommend looking into it next holiday season. It was a wonderful time, and I was able to spend quality time with my family right before Christmas.
