Posted on November 19, 2025
Those wonderful colors of the holiday season are approaching rapidly and now is the time to get into the festive spirit with our top picks for this year's Midwest Holiday Lights across the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin!
The beautiful heart of Lake County offers seasonal experiences fit for anyone to enjoy with hundreds of shows and events across the county! The Lightscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a curated display with festive refreshments and small events throughout the season to provide new experiences every year! For a more homely feeling, the annual Grayslake Festival of Lights starts off the Christmas season right with an unforgettable evening of amusements, shopping and even a visit from Saint Nicholas, Mrs. Claus, and a herd of reindeer for the kids! Lastly, the warm festivities of the Libertyville Tree Lighting and Downtown Holiday Walk with an official tree lighting and holiday are perfect for the turn of the holiday season! Be sure to check for dates and tickets when looking for events!
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022 | (847) 835-6801 | Website
Historic Downtown Grayslake
Grayslake, IL 60030 | Website
Cook Park, Libertyville
413 N Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048 | Website
The wonderous glow of Grand Rapids signals the approach of winter and the town's many seasonal attractions! As an impressive artpiece, ENLIGHTEN at Meijer Gardens is one of the best botanical garden holiday lights displays in the US which shows with over 40 installations and 13 featured areas paired to the dedication from many local and national artists! If you're looking for holiday gifts, Christkindl Markt is a relaxing, one-of-a-kind Christmas Market experience with European-style hut venues and over 60 vendors for both great souvenirs and food! Lastly, the works of Christmas Lite Show are stunning with beautiful light artwork and accessible events from drive-through viewings to the Memory Lane Train and even the Christmas Lite Show 5k! There is nothing better than being able to make the most of the season and Grand Rapids is the perfect place to start the season right!
Meijer Gardens
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525 | (888) 957-1580 | Website
Christkindl Markt at Grand Rapids Downtown Market
435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 | (616) 805-5308 | Website
Christmas Lite Show
4500 W River Dr. NE, Comstock Park, MI 49321 | (616) 745-9955 | Website
When thinking of the holiday season in Indiana, Elkhart County and its region should come to mind because of the plethora of wintery landscapes draped in artistic lightworks, designed by hand but brought to life to warm the heart. Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights at Wellfield Botanic Gardens and Fernwood Botanical Garden bring the holiday season to life with ever-dazzling displays sure to awe all of their visitors! Wellfield Gardens holds some of the most famous displays in the Midwest with millions of visitors in its approach to 10 years of hosting Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights. As for Fernwood Botanical Garden, their LIGHTS at Fernwood offers not just charming light artwork but also activities, souvenirs and concessions sure to wow! To round out our picks, Shipshewana's Lights of Joy is a drive-through which sees new additions annually to make every visit a new experience! Paired with jolly tunes, is it sure to be a merry ride along! Since these are not the sole three displays in the region, check out the other Holiday Lights attractions as there are many across the country to support with your patronage!
Wellfield Botanic Gardens
1011 N Main St., Elkhart, IN 46514 | (547) 266-2006 | Website
Shipshewana's Lights of Joy
345 S Van Buren St., Shipshewana, IN 46565 | (260) 768-4725 | Website
Fernwood Botanical Garden
13988 Range Line Rd., Niles, IN | (269) 695-6491 | Website
The soul of Green Bay's holiday season comes from more than its attractions. It thrives with its community and talents in the arts, and to say that their attractions follow through with that feeling is an understatement! The neighborly feeling of the Winter Jubilee Warm Up at Titletown Near Lambeau Field and Holiday Lights on the Fox at Brown County Fairgrounds present both the casual experience of Green Bay and De Pere's largest drive-through lightshow with Holiday Lights on the Fox and the extensive collection of events and activities across the two-day Winter Jubilee! Whatever the pick, these two pair perfectly for a week of great memory-making! For the more adventurous kind of entertainment, Merry & Bright Canopy Lights at NEW Zoo & Adventure Park provides a serene walk in an after-dark zoo with glittering lights and hot cocoa made for a pleasant evening with the family. It is much the same with WPS Garden of Lights at Green Bay Botanical Garden which glows with nature's beauty across dozens of displays along a one-mile path. With an undeniable standard of class to the lightworks, Green Bay is host to some of the best holiday attractions in Wisconsin!
Winter Jubilee Warm Up at Titletown Near Lambeau Field
1025 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay, WI 54304 | (920) 569-7500 | Website
Brown County Fairgrounds
1500 Fort Howard Ave., De Pere, WI 54115 | (800) 515-2171 | Website
NEW Zoo & Adventure Park
4378 Reforestation Rd., Green Bay, WI 54313 | (920) 434-7841 | Website
Green Bay Botanical Garden
2600 Larsen Rd., Green Bay, WI 54303 | (920) 490-9457 | Website
The last of our picks this year come from the lakeshore town of Duluth, MN with a bounty of good spirits and events! For local events, the Christmas City of the North Parade and Duluth Winter Village makes for both broad live performances adored by its visitors and great support for local businesses by vending and travel across town! Floats, shops, crafts, warm drinks, and cheery audiences make for a pair of traditions that remain strong in the Duluth community! For a quieter evening, why not try out a festive tour? Bentleyville "Tour of Lights" and Glensheen Mansion for a kid-focused walking light tour across a winter wonderland of Bentleyville or the more historic Christmas tours throughout Glensheen Mansion! All of these beautiful attracts can make your season bright, so stop by today if you get the chance!
Christmas City of the North Parade
Downtown Duluth | (218) 727-8549 | Website
Bentleyville "Tour of Lights"
700 W Railroad St., Duluth, MN 55802 | Website
Duluth Winter Village
350 Harbor Dr., Duluth, MN 55802 | Website
Glensheen Mansion
3300 London Rd., Duluth, MN 55804 | (218) 726-8910 | Website