Lights at Fernwood

10 Holiday Light Displays To Brighten Your Spirits

As evenings get longer, there is no better way to brighten your spirits than by admiring the twinkle and shimmer of holiday lights with the ones you love. All throughout Berrien County and beyond, you’ll find walk-through light displays, small town windows decorated to the nines, and larger-than-life Christmas trees to enjoy this season. 

Bundle up and admire the beauty of these ten local holiday light displays:

Light Up the Bluff – Stroll through a winter wonderland of 1 million holiday lights along Lake Boulevard during this beloved annual event. The lights are free to enjoy and turn on each evening from December 3 to February 15 so you can enjoy them multiple times throughout the season. 

Image Credit: Jessica Springer

Lights at Fernwood – The gardens at Fernwood will be transformed into a twinkling display for 21 nights November 26 through January 2. Tickets are on sale now for Thursday – Sunday evenings. In addition to the lighted path you can also enjoy warm beverages, snacks, and fire pits. 

Eden Springs Park – Climb aboard the miniature train in Benton Harbor and ride through a magical light display. Tickets are $4 and can be purchased with cash. Rides take place Saturday and Sundays December 4-19.

Carter’s Christmas Wonderland – Located at 890 Roslin Road in Benton Harbor, this residential yard is packed full of dazzling colored lights, giant inflatable creatures, and the family says they are adding more daily! Starting December 10, the Grinch will make an appearance on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings to hand out free hot chocolate. New this year there is a walking path in the side yard (parking available across the street or at barn).

Smith Road Winter Wonderlawn – This festive residential home, located at 6440 Smith Road in Berrien Center, and comes to life each evening through January with a dazzling display of lighted trees across the lawn.

Image Credit: Smith Road Winter Wonderlawn

Lights on Bell Road – Another residential light display, located at 185 Bell Road in Niles, is truly a sight to behold with dancing light poles and a 50-foot lighted tree. The show is also synchronized to some of your favorite Christmas tunes so you can sing along while you admire the lights. 

Village of Three Oaks – This charming town which holds the claim to fame as the home to Prancer offers display windows adorned with winter decor, streets lined with lights, and the town’s Christmas tree in Carver Park.

Downtown Niles – In addition to the downtown streets aglow, and the town’s Christmas tree in Donovan Memorial Park, Niles is home to the famous lighted Santa floating along the St. Joseph River and the charming Amtrak Station draped in string lights. You can also drive by the Chapin Mansion and tune your radio to listen along to the musical performance while watching the light show.

Village of Berrien Springs – Another quaint town to add to your holiday light tour, Berrien Springs is full of Christmas cheer with both the downtown businesses and residential neighborhoods boosting an impressive display of light and color as well as the Christmas Tree in Memorial Park. Check out the (Re)Kindle Your Christmas Spirit event, coming up 6-9PM on December 9.

Downtown Buchanan – This may be a small town but they do Christmas BIG. Walk under the twinkling lights strung across downtown, admire the decorations in local shop windows, and visit the town Christmas tree at Buchanan Common. The lighted gazebo at Buchanan Garden Club Memorial Park will also make you feel like you’re on the set of a Hallmark movie. 

Downtown Buchanan / Image Credit: Sharon Travis

Looking for a way to make your holiday outing even more special? Get extra-cozy with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or a holiday-inspired beverage at our Fun & Festive Holiday Series sponsor, Caffe Tosi, in downtown St. Joseph! Caffe Tosi offers “The tastes of Italy in the heart of Michigan.” Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and a variety of beverages including beer, wine, and mimosas!

About the author: Jessica Springer is a Michigan native who has called Southwest Michigan home for the last seven years. She works full time as a health care marketing specialist and is also the founder of the travel blog, Well Planned Adventures

3 thoughts on “10 Holiday Light Displays To Brighten Your Spirits”

  1. Yoo-hoo! Christmas is coming and as usual my neighbor would try her best to come up with an amazing light display at her front lawn. I think she could achieve greater results if she seeks professional assistance when making further installations later on. Anyway, based on what I observed here it was quite nice to know that we could even set up lighting features around natural plants provided they’re big enough to support them.

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