In Kentucky, December can be very festive because of the holidays. There are many things to see around Lexington and nearby areas. Here is a list of some of the best things to do around Kentucky during the most wonderful time of the year.

Ice skating at Triangle Park:
Ice skating downtown is an enjoyable activity in Lexington. Triangle Park will be transformed into an ice rink from November 5th to January 15th. It is $17 for 1 hour, and they are cashless, which means they only take cards, so be prepared for that. Their hours for Monday through Thursday are 4 pm -9 pm, Friday is 4 pm -10 pm, Saturday is 10 am -11 pm, and Sunday is 1 pm -9pm. When Fayette County schools are out, their hours for Monday through Thursday are 10 am -10 pm, Friday through Saturday is 10 am -11 pm, and Sunday is 1 pm -9 pm. They have one food supplier, Señor Chimi, Mexican cuisine. There are also many other restaurants nearby because the ice rink is in the heart of downtown. Ice skating in Triangle Park is an excellent activity to enjoy time with family and friends, for date night, or to go and have fun by yourself.

Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park:
Southern lights is one of Kentucky’s most popular holiday events. It is located at the Kentucky Horse Park and is rated one of the top winter events by Kentucky Travel and Tourism. Southern Lights opens on November 25th, closes on December 31st, and does not open on Christmas. Their time of operation is 5:30-10:00 pm every night. It offers a 3-mile driving tour of lights and the holiday village at the end of the ride. Their holiday village includes Animal Land, Kentucky Horse Park gift shop, Tooties Peppermint Cafe, and more. It’s recommended to buy tickets ahead of time online. The tickets are $30 online, $35 at the ticket booth per personal car, $100 for minibosses, $150 for school buses, and $250 for Motor Coach. This is an excellent activity for people of all ages.

Mt. McKinley Lights:
Mt. McKinley Lights is a homemade and family-owned lights display in Lexington. They are located at 2956 Mt McKinley Way. It is a “computer-controlled animated light display synchronized to your favorite [holiday] songs,” as it says on their Facebook page. You can tune in on your car radio to the designated channel, hear the music, sing along, and watch as the fantastic display lights up with life. They opened Thanksgiving night and ran their show from 6 pm -11 pm every night. Try and catch them before Christmas Day. Every year, they have a giant inflatable for their display, and this year is the grinch. The whole house is covered in lights, electronic trees, Santa Clause in the window, and so much more. It is a free experience, but they have a donation bin for God’s Pantry, asking for non-perishable food items.

Lexington Fire Station:
Lexington Fire Station 20 has done an annual light show for Christmas every year for the past 17 years, coming up on its 18th this year. In addition, they have a toy drive where you can donate new, unwrapped toys for the Firefighter toy program. Their light display is at 3001 Arrowhead Dr, across from Beaumont Center. You can tune into their radio station and listen along to Christmas songs as the lights jump around, following the music in your car. It starts at 5:30 pm every day until the end of the year. They ask you not to park in the grass and to keep your headlights off. This is a great, free activity to do with your loved ones.

Lexington Children’s Theatre:
Lexington Children’s Theatre is a local downtown theater that puts on multiple shows annually. They do a Christmas show every year, and this year they are putting on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. The show ran from November 25th to December 5th. The show was put on at the Lexington Opera House. They will also be having another show in December called Digging Up Dessa. This show will run from December 10th to December 17th at Lexington Children’s Theatre. The ticket prices for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer range from $20 to $25. The ticket prices for Digging Up Dessa are anywhere from $15-$20. Lexington Children’s Theatre is a great local theater to visit any time of the year, but they do great Christmas shows every year, and it’s worth seeing if you can make it this busy time of year.

Shaker Village Illuminated Evenings: Shaker Village is located at 3501 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Shaker Village holds three yearly events for Christmas. One of these events is the Illuminated Evenings. Illuminated Evenings are hosted on the 3rd, 10th, and 17th, from 5 P.M.- 8 P.M. It is a $5 admission, and there are shops and holiday activities. The second activity is lunch at the Trustee’s Table. It is available from December 1-23. On weekdays the time is 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM. On weekends it is 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM. For adults to participate, it is $32; for children, it is $16. The last activity is the Candlelight Tour. The available dates are the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, and 16th, and 17th. Admission for annual pass holders is $10, and non-annual pass holders are $15. The tour begins in the Trustee’s Office. Shaker Village has a lot of history and is very entertaining, with many options for everyone.

Sledding:
Sledding is a popular activity among people of all ages. Lexington is an excellent place for sledding. Some of the most popular spots in Lexington are:
Former Shriners Hospital on Richmond Rd.
Stonewall Elementary
Beaumont YMCA
Veterans Park Elementary
Kroger in Dylan Plaza
There are hidden gems everywhere, so get out and find the next best place. Sledding brings joy and smiles to everyone, no matter their age.

The Chinoe House:
The house is located at 1008 Chinoe Road, Lexington. Ron and Linda Turner opened their home for Christmas-time fundraisers such as Hope Hill Youth Services and the Foster Care Council of Lexington. The attraction is open seven days a week and is a free display. They do a house tour on Sunday, December 15th, from 5 PM – 7 PM. Adult tickets cost $10, and children $5. The money raised will go towards the Kentucky Cystic Fibrosis Services. Everyone can enjoy this very elaborate Christmas display.

Cut down a Christmas tree from a local farm:
There are many local places to cut down or buy fresh Christmas trees in and around Lexington. It’s a great activity to do with your family or friends.
Nieman’s Christmas Tree Farm, 5100 Sulphur Lane, Lexington, Kentucky
Barker’s Christmas Tree Farm, 1500 Deer Haven Lane, Lexington, Kentucky.
Kovalic’s Christmas Tree Farm, 487 Ecton Road, Winchester, Kentucky.
Edmister Tree Farm, 200 Rowlette Lane, Richmond, Kentucky.
Cissell Christmas Tree Farm, 2309 Booker Road, Springfield, Kentucky.

Winterfest at Kings Island:
Kings Island, located just outside Mason, Ohio, at 6300 Kings Island Drive, Kings Island, OH, is one of the most beloved amusement parks near Kentucky, but they do much more than just rollercoasters. They also do special events for holidays, and during winter, they throw a Winterfest. This event runs from November 25th to December 31st. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 5 pm – 10 pm, and Saturday-Sunday is 4 pm – 10 pm. They start running on weekdays after 12/19, but before that, they are only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. General Admission is $45. Other pricing details are on the website. Many activities include ice skating, parades, shows, Jack Frost’s Igloo Village, and much more. Some attractions and roller coasters are open, but going to Kings Island for Winterfest is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit.

Perfect North Slopes:
Perfect North is in Indiana, located at 19074 Perfect Lane Lawrenceburg, IN. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Lexington. Perfect North has ski, snowboard, and tubing slopes. They typically close mid to early March. Their skiing and snowboarding hours are Sunday-Thursday, 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM, and Friday & Saturday, 9:30 AM – Midnight, but they start late nights, when they close at midnight, after 12/16, so until then, they close at 9:30 pm. Their snow tubing hours: Monday – Thursday is 1:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Friday & Saturday is 9:30 AM – Midnight (Late nights start after 12/16, until then, they close at 9:30 pm), and Sundays & holidays are 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM. The holidays that apply to their hours are Christmas Break 12/19 – 12/31, Martin Luther King Day 1/16/23 & Presidents’ Day 2/20/23. The holidays they are closed on are 11/24 for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve at 4:30 PM & is closed Christmas Day. For tubing general admission, it’s $35, and for skiing and snowboarding general admission, it’s $72 (for skiing and snowboarding late nights, it’s $57). Their website has more details about hours, prices, and details. Perfect North is a fantastic place for people to have fun during winter.

Lights Under Louisville:
A popular holiday tradition is driving around looking at Christmas lights or visiting a holiday light attraction. They have an underground light display in a huge cave called Lights Under Louisville in Louisville. Lights under Louisville is a popular holiday tradition since it’s the only underground light show in the world. It offers over 40 themed displays, over 900 lit-up characters, and around six million lights. It’s open from November 11th until January 1st. Their hours of operation are from 9:30 am -10 pm; however, on Christmas day, the hours are 5:30 pm to 10 pm. The pricing is $34.99 for a standard car, $79.99 for a full-size van or small bus, $149.99 for a full-size school bus, and $349.99 for a motor coach. This is great to drive through attractions and enjoy the millions of lights and Christmas music with your family and friends.

Louisville Zoo Festival of the Lights:
One of Kentucky’s most popular zoos does a great Christmas event every year named the PNC Festival of the Lights. The zoo is located at 1100 Trevilian Way, Louisville, KY.
This event started on November 18th and ends on January 8th. They are coming up to their 40th annual display and have expanded to 4 million LED lights. In addition, there are activities such as character meet and greets, meeting Mr. and Mrs. Claus, an Under the Sea area, riding the North Polar Express train, S’mores Stations, and so much more. General admission ranges from $9.50-$26 depending on deals, age, and other factors. Parking is $10 at the zoo. There is a wide variety of activities, from your favorite holiday traditions, to see all types of animals. It’s the perfect place to spend a night with your family or friends and create beautiful memories.

Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill:
Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill is a favorite holiday tradition in Millersburg, Kentucky. Millersburg is only a 30-minute drive from Lexington. They are open on December 1st-4th, 8th-11th, and the 15th-30th. Tickets are $15 per person; anyone under seven years old does not require a ticket. The hours of operation are from 5 pm to 9 pm. Christmas lights begin on December 1st, with entertainment from Thursday until Sunday. The entertainment includes their gingerbread house exhibit, some of the most amazing gingerbread houses in Kentucky, Artisans Market, The Holiday Cafe, and the Christmas experience. This would be a great place to walk around with family or friends, enjoy the 3-acre Christmas light display, listen to music, shop for gifts, take pictures in their 14-inch illuminated walkway, and do much more.

Creating Christmas memories with your loved ones shows how wonderful winter in Kentucky is. There are many fun things to do and ways to spread Christmas cheer with all your family and friends. Happy Holidays from Logan, Alyssa, Isabella, and the Journalism team.