Holidays and seasons
Christmas Lights in Sacramento 2026
Free neighborhood streets, family light shows you can hear on your car radio, and the ticketed shows with 2026 dates, from East Sacramento to Roseville, Elk Grove and Folsom.
The best Christmas lights in Sacramento are mostly free and neighbor-run: the Fab 40s in East Sacramento, Rockmont Lights in Natomas, Pebble Creek in Rocklin, Hillsford Court in Roseville, and family light shows in Elk Grove, Folsom and Fair Oaks that play their music on FM radio. Two ticketed events have posted 2026 dates: Folsom’s zoo lights (Dec 4–22, about $14) and Fairytale Town’s Winter Wonderland (Dec 5–6 and 12–13, $15–18). Cal Expo’s Imaginarium hasn’t announced a 2026 season yet.
On this page
21 places to see Christmas lights around Sacramento
Grouped by town, Sacramento first. For private homes we give the address only where the family, the city or a news outlet published it for visitors. Dates marked 2025 are last year’s: families rarely post before late November, so check the display’s page before you drive.
Christmas lights in Sacramento
East Sacramento’s Fab 40s, Land Park’s Fairytale Town, Old Sacramento’s rooftop show, Natomas’s Rockmont Lights and, if it returns, Cal Expo’s Imaginarium.
Imaginarium at Cal Expo
Cal Expo · 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815
- When
- 2026 not announced (2025–26: Nov 26–Jan 11, from 5 p.m.)
- Cost
- 2025–26: adults from $21, kids 3–12 from $16, plus a $3 fee
Good for A big ticketed night out with rides and skating
Imaginarium is a ticketed holiday light festival on the Cal Expo fairgrounds, with walk-through light displays, infinity mirror rooms, circus shows, carnival rides and an outdoor ice rink. The 2025–26 season advertised 15 million lights; its opening slipped from Nov 21 to Nov 26 after an electrical problem. As of mid-October 2026, neither Imaginarium nor Cal Expo had posted 2026 dates, so check before you plan around it.
- Lights, rides, circus and skating
- Ice rink $15 a skater (2025)
- Ride wristbands $30–35 (2025)
- 2026 dates not posted yet
The Fab 40s
East Sacramento · 40th to 49th Streets, between J Street and Folsom Blvd
- When
- After Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, after dark
- Cost
- Free
Good for A walk past big, old, decorated houses
Sacramento’s best-known lights are the homes on the numbered streets from 40th to 49th, between J Street and Folsom Boulevard. Residents decorate on their own, starting right after Thanksgiving, and most leave their lights on through New Year’s Eve. Walk it if you can: on Christmas night cars back up so badly the streets show red on traffic maps. Horse-drawn carriage, pedal-bike and tuk-tuk tours also run through the neighborhood.
- Free, no tickets
- Best on foot; parking is tight
- Busiest on Christmas night
- Carriage and bike tours (book ahead)
Winter Wonderland at Fairytale Town
3901 Land Park Dr, Sacramento, CA 95822
- When
- Dec 5–6 and 12–13, 2026, 1–7 p.m. (box office closes at 6)
- Cost
- $15 in advance, $18 on the day; under 2 free
Good for Toddlers and preschoolers, before bedtime
For four weekend days in December, Land Park’s storybook play park stays open into the evening and lights up at dusk. Santa visits the Mother Goose stage from 1 to 6 p.m. with free self-serve photos, Mr. Grinch roams the park, and there are crafts, holiday story times and a scavenger hunt. Snow falls around the Mother Goose stage at 6 p.m. each night. Advance tickets are sold until Dec 4.
- Santa photos free with entry
- Snowfall at 6 p.m.
- Lights from dusk
- Weather permitting
Theatre of Lights
K Street, Old Sacramento Waterfront
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Nov 26–Dec 24, Fri–Sun evenings)
- Cost
- Free
Good for A short, free show for any age
A free 20-minute show on K Street: a Sacramento version of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, projected onto the historic buildings and acted out on the balconies, ending with Santa lighting a 60-foot tree. In 2025 it opened with a tree lighting on Nov 26, then ran Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 through Dec 21, plus Dec 23 and 24. The organizer says it returns in 2026; dates aren’t posted yet.
- About 20 minutes
- Best view: mid-K Street near Front
- Garages: Tower and Old Sacramento
- Weather calls by 10 a.m. that day
Rockmont Lights
North Natomas · Rockmont Circle and Java Court, Natomas
- When
- After Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve
- Cost
- Free; donations go to local food banks
Good for Character nights and a walkable loop
More than 100 homes in North Natomas’s Rockmont Circle neighborhood decorate, a tradition a few Java Court neighbors started over 20 years ago. They now run it as a nonprofit that gives to local food banks; bring a can for the barrel on Java Court. In 2024 CapRadio reported Saturday character nights with Santa, elves and the Grinch and a 25-foot tree in the middle of the street, and suggested parking at Westlake Charter School and walking in.
- 100+ homes
- Food barrel on Java Court
- Saturday character nights (2024)
- Run by a neighborhood nonprofit
Christmas lights in Roseville
Roseville’s best displays are neighbor-run: a seven-house court show, a walk-through candy cane path, a street synced to the radio and a week-long music show.
Hillsford Court Christmas Lights Show
Hillsford Ct, Roseville, CA 95747
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Nov 28–Dec 31, 5–10 p.m., to 11 Fri–Sat)
- Cost
- Free
Good for A coordinated show you can walk or drive
Seven homes on Hillsford Court put on one coordinated show of lights, music, video and animation, each house with its own theme, from A Christmas Story to The Polar Express and the Grinch. Park outside the court and walk through, or drive by with the radio on 93.3 FM. On Saturday nights, weather permitting, the neighbors hand out free cookies, candy canes and hot chocolate. 2025 was the show’s 13th year.
- FM 93.3
- Seven themed houses
- Treats on Saturday nights
- Park outside the court
Candy Cane Lane
1994 Herschel St, Roseville, CA
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: through Jan 2, 4–9 p.m. nightly)
- Cost
- Free; donations to a charity
Good for Little kids who want to walk through
Chris and Meredith Joyce’s walk-through display is a 300-foot path past handmade scenes and more than 35,000 lights, under a candy-cane-striped roof. Kids can make a train puff candy-cane-scented smoke, pretend to bake in Mrs. Claus’s kitchen and meet Whoville’s Grinch and Cindy Lou. It started during COVID as a way to share the season outdoors, and it collects donations for charity.
- Walk-through path
- 35,000+ lights
- Hands-on scenes for kids
Twinwood Loop
Twinwood Loop, Roseville, CA 95678
- When
- December evenings; no official dates
- Cost
- Free
Dozens of homes on Twinwood Loop sync their lights to holiday music on local radio stations, so you can roll down the street with the car radio on. CapRadio’s 2024 guide picked it as one of the region’s best displays. There’s no organizer site or set schedule, so lights vary house by house; check a local parents’ group before you drive over.
- Lights synced to the radio
- Drive slowly or walk
- No set schedule
Vista Lights
1773 Vista Creek Dr, Roseville, CA
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Dec 21–26, 6:30–9:30 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
Good for A short, high-tech music show
The Scott family’s display runs a 30-minute show on a loop, driven by the music, much of it their own Christmas remixes, across more than 20,000 computer-controlled LED pixels, with a giant snow globe, reindeer and singing penguins. In 2025 it opened with a neighborhood block party on Saturday, Dec 20, then ran nightly Dec 21–26. The music is broadcast so you can listen from the car.
- 30-minute looping show
- 20,000+ LED pixels
- Music on your car radio
- Short season, about a week
Christmas lights in Elk Grove
The city’s free Illumination Festival, then three family light shows with their own FM music. The houses are spread across town, so pick one or two.
Elk Grove Illumination Holiday Festival
District56, 8230 Civic Center Dr, Elk Grove, CA 95757
- When
- Sat, Dec 5, 2026, 3–8 p.m.
- Cost
- Free
Good for A free evening out with a tree lighting
The City of Elk Grove’s free holiday festival, in its seventh year in 2026, fills the District56 campus with holiday traditions from around the world, gift vendors, bounce houses and ice skating, and brings everyone together for the city’s tree lighting. In past years the skating rink was synthetic ice with skates provided, and the activities were free.
- Tree lighting ceremony
- Free skating in past years
- Food trucks
WeissWelsh Christmas Display
3316 Lake Terrace Dr, Elk Grove, CA 95758
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: from Nov 28, 5–9 p.m., to 10 Fri–Sat)
- Cost
- Free; canned food welcome
More than 100,000 LED lights, run by 45 computer-controlled boards, seem to fly, spin and dance to music on 104.7 FM, with fireworks made of lights and two big pixel trees. On Christmas Eve, weather permitting, the family runs a bubble-snow machine for kids and gives out hot chocolate. They collect food for the Elk Grove Food Bank every night, so bring a can from your pantry.
- FM 104.7
- 100,000+ LED lights
- Food Bank drive every night
- Bubble snow on Christmas Eve
Groza Christmas Lights
8486 Mainstay Ct, Elk Grove, CA 95624
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Dec 1–31, from 5:30 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
Over 80,000 lights in a colorful penguins-and-reindeer theme dance to 25 songs, about an hour and a half of music before it repeats. Watch from your warm car on 107.9 FM, or walk up: the sound also plays on speakers from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Most Fridays and Saturdays the family hands out candy canes on request.
- FM 107.9
- 80,000+ lights
- 25 songs, about 1.5 hours
- Candy canes most weekends
Pacificar’s Christmas Lights Display
6721 Sao Tiago Way, Elk Grove, CA 95757
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Dec 1–Jan 2, from 5 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
The Pacificar family has decorated since 1985, in Japan, the Philippines and now Elk Grove. Their computerized show plays on 92.9 FM, with bubbles, fog, dancing water and candy for kids, and a recent year’s theme was the Minions. Projected snow blizzards run Friday through Sunday only, out of respect for the neighbors.
- FM 92.9
- Bubbles, fog and candy
- Snow effect Fri–Sun
Christmas lights in Folsom
The zoo sanctuary’s lights are the area’s only zoo lights event. The city’s yearly Holiday Lights Contest is a good map of the best streets.
Wild Nights & Holiday Lights
Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary, 403 Stafford St, Folsom, CA 95630
- When
- Dec 4–6, 10–13 and 18–22, 2026, 5–8:30 p.m. (last entry 8)
- Cost
- $14.17 with fees; train $8.86; under 2 free
Good for Zoo lights and a night train ride
In its 16th year, the zoo sanctuary’s fundraiser fills the grounds with lights, decorated trees, lighted animal figures and carolers, and night-active animals like kinkajous and sand cats get special holiday enrichment from keepers. The Folsom Valley Railway’s Starlight Express mini train runs an open-air night loop through Lions Park (separate ticket). Tickets are online only and timed, on sale Nov 1; heavy rain or wind cancels a night.
- On sale Nov 1, online only
- Timed entry
- Park behind City Hall, 52 Natoma St
- Proceeds go to the animals
Ledgemont Court
Ledgemont Ct, Folsom, CA 95630
- When
- December evenings; no official dates
- Cost
- Free
Ledgemont Court won Illuminate the Block, the best multi-house display, in the City of Folsom’s 2025 Holiday Lights Contest, and some of its homes entered on their own as well. The city’s contest page lists every entry by address, which makes a ready-made map of other lit-up Folsom homes for a longer loop.
- 2025 best multi-house display
- Walk or drive
Darvel Court Christmas Lights
1730 Darvel Ct, Folsom, CA 95630
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Dec 1–31, 5–10 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
Seventy-foot redwoods wrapped in blue lights tower over tens of thousands of lights and lawn decorations, and decorated Volkswagens make appearances on some nights. You can walk or drive through. It was an entry in Folsom’s 2025 Holiday Lights Contest.
- 70-foot redwoods in blue lights
- Decorated VWs some nights
- Treats for kids
Lights on Lewis
1488 Lewis Way, Folsom, CA 95630
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Nov 24–Jan 10, from 5 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
A family display that has grown each year since they moved to Lewis Way, with decorations from the owner’s childhood and pieces neighbors donated, in honor of his late father. On set nights their young child serves hot cocoa, and a portion goes to the local food bank. It had one of the longest seasons on this list in 2025.
- Hot cocoa on set nights
- Lit into January
Christmas lights in Rocklin
Pebble Creek Drive
Pebble Creek Dr, Rocklin, CA 95765
- When
- December evenings; no official dates
- Cost
- Free
Good for A whole neighborhood, by car or on foot
More than 130 homes in Pebble Creek cover their houses and yards in lights, a tradition neighbor Steve Givens started more than 30 years ago. Expect Pixar, Disney, Elf and Grinch scenes. ABC10 puts the loop at about 30 minutes by car and about the same on foot, and Givens’ advice is to walk if you can and take your time.
- 130+ homes
- About 30 minutes to loop
- Free
Christmas lights in Rancho Cordova, Fair Oaks and Orangevale
Mather Christmas Lights Spectacular
4344 Aubergine Way, Rancho Cordova, CA 95655
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Nov 30–Jan 5, 5–9 p.m., to 10 weekends)
- Cost
- Free
A home-built show of 11,356 programmed LED lights set to a family-friendly playlist on 91.1 FM. Visitors can scan a QR code on the lawn to add a song to the queue, so the show changes from night to night. The family asks visitors to park with the neighbors in mind.
- FM 91.1
- Pick songs by QR code
- Changes nightly
Buena Vista Lights
5010 Buena Vista Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628
- When
- 2026 not posted (2025: Dec 1–Jan 4, 5–10 p.m.)
- Cost
- Free
More than 10,000 lights in a light show you can hear on 105.9 FM, with a nativity scene played by the Peanuts gang. It was on FOX40’s 2025 list of the Sacramento area’s best streets and displays.
- FM 105.9
- Peanuts nativity
- 10,000+ lights
Dovewood Court
Dovewood Ct, Orangevale, CA 95662
- When
- December evenings; no official dates
- Cost
- Free
A small Orangevale court where the homes decorate together, best known for the Evart family’s giant Peanuts display: Jason Evart and his dad built Snoopy’s doghouse in 1986, and his mother cut and painted the characters from plywood. Mariah Carey FaceTimed the family in 2018 to thank them. The court’s Facebook page posts each year’s updates. Parking is limited, so come early or park nearby and walk.
- Peanuts display since the 1980s
- Free
- Limited parking
Sacramento’s holiday light shows side by side
Most of the lights on this page are free and need no booking. These five are organized events with set dates, and two of them, Folsom’s zoo and Fairytale Town, had posted their 2026 dates and prices by mid-October. Folsom’s tickets go on sale Nov 1 and are timed; Fairytale Town’s advance price ends Dec 4.
| Show | Where | 2026 dates | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Nights & Holiday Lights | Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary | Dec 4–6, 10–13, 18–22 | 5–8:30 p.m., last entry 8 | $14.17 with fees; train $8.86; under 2 free |
| Winter Wonderland | Fairytale Town, Land Park | Dec 5–6, 12–13 | 1–7 p.m.; box office closes 6 | $15 advance, $18 on the day; under 2 free |
| Illumination Holiday Festival | District56, Elk Grove | Dec 5 | 3–8 p.m. | Free |
| Theatre of Lights | K Street, Old Sacramento | Not posted (2025: Nov 26–Dec 24) | Fri–Sat 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Sun 6:30 (2025) | Free |
| Imaginarium | Cal Expo | Not announced (2025–26: Nov 26–Jan 11) | 5–10 p.m.; Fri–Sat to 11 (2025–26) | Adults from $21, kids 3–12 from $16, plus $3 fee (2025–26) |
For a family with small children, Fairytale Town is the easiest: it’s built for toddlers, Santa is there all afternoon, and the snow falls at 6, early enough for bedtime. Folsom’s zoo lights suit kids who can last an hour of walking after dark, and the separate mini train ride is the highlight for many.
Planning a lights night with kids
December sunsets come early in Sacramento, around 4:45 p.m. in mid-December, so you can see the lights and still be home for bedtime. Neighborhood displays fill in over the first two weekends of December; the week before Christmas is fullest, and the busiest.
- Go on a weeknight, early. Weekends and Christmas night bring the biggest crowds; on Christmas night the Fab 40s back up for blocks.
- Park and walk. Leave the car a few blocks out, and keep driveways clear. Fab 40s residents have complained about litter, so take your cups and wrappers home.
- Bring a thermos of cocoa, gloves and a blanket. December nights here often dip to around 40°F. A wagon or stroller saves tired legs on long loops like Pebble Creek.
- Tune in. Many family displays play their music on FM radio, so younger kids can watch from a warm car. The next section lists the stations.
- Bring a can or a few dollars. WeissWelsh in Elk Grove and Rockmont Lights in Natomas collect food for local food banks, and several displays raise money for charities.
- Check before rain. Folsom’s zoo lights cancel for heavy rain or wind, and Old Sacramento decides by 10 a.m. on show days. Check their social media before you leave.
Drive-by Christmas lights with music on your car radio
Bayside Church’s free drive-through light show in Roseville was paused in 2023, and we found no sign it has returned. The closest thing now is a family show you can watch from the car with its music on FM. Stations as the families listed them for 2025:
- 93.3 FM: Hillsford Court, Roseville (seven houses)
- 104.7 FM: WeissWelsh, 3316 Lake Terrace Dr, Elk Grove
- 107.9 FM: Groza, 8486 Mainstay Ct, Elk Grove
- 92.9 FM: Pacificar, 6721 Sao Tiago Way, Elk Grove
- 91.1 FM: Mather Christmas Lights Spectacular, 4344 Aubergine Way, Rancho Cordova
- 105.9 FM: Buena Vista Lights, 5010 Buena Vista Ave, Fair Oaks
- Radio, station not listed: Vista Lights, Roseville, and the houses on Twinwood Loop, Roseville
The signals are weak, so tune in once you’re on the street. Keep your headlights low and roll through slowly; neighbors still need to get home.
Questions parents ask
When do the Fab 40s Christmas lights start in Sacramento?
There’s no official start: the Fab 40s lights are put up by residents of the homes on 40th to 49th Streets between J Street and Folsom Boulevard. Most begin decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving, the displays fill in through the first two weekends of December, and most homes leave their lights on through New Year’s Eve. Go on a weeknight soon after dark, park a few blocks away and walk. Christmas night is the most crowded of all.
Is the Christmas light show at Cal Expo happening in 2026?
Not announced yet. Cal Expo’s holiday light festival, Imaginarium, ran from Nov 26, 2025 to Jan 11, 2026, with tickets from $21 for adults and $16 for kids 3–12, plus a $3 fee, and an ice rink inside for $15. As of Oct 13, 2026, neither imaginarium360.com nor Cal Expo’s event calendar listed a 2026 season. In past years it was announced in the fall and opened in late November, so check both sites from early November.
Where are the best Christmas lights in Roseville?
Hillsford Court, where seven homes run one coordinated show on 93.3 FM and hand out cookies and cocoa on Saturday nights; Candy Cane Lane at 1994 Herschel St, a free 300-foot walk-through with 35,000 lights; Twinwood Loop, where dozens of homes sync to the radio; and Vista Lights at 1773 Vista Creek Dr, a 30-minute music show that ran Dec 21–26 in 2025. Pebble Creek Drive in neighboring Rocklin, with more than 130 decorated homes, is a few minutes away.
Does the Sacramento Zoo have holiday lights?
No lights night appears on the Sacramento Zoo’s 2026 events calendar. In 2025 it held a daytime Holiday Magic day with free photos with Santa for paying visitors, and it’s closed Dec 24 and 25. For zoo lights, go to the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary’s Wild Nights & Holiday Lights, Dec 4–22, 2026, with lighted animal figures, carolers and a night train. Tickets ($14.17 with fees) go on sale Nov 1.
Is there a drive-through Christmas light show near Sacramento?
Not a big one that we could confirm for 2026. Bayside Church’s free drive-through in Roseville paused in 2023, and we found no word that it has returned. Many family displays broadcast their music on FM radio so you can watch from the car: Hillsford Court in Roseville (93.3), three Elk Grove homes (104.7, 107.9 and 92.9), Mather in Rancho Cordova (91.1) and Buena Vista Lights in Fair Oaks (105.9). Pebble Creek in Rocklin takes about 30 minutes to loop by car.
How do I get tickets for the Folsom zoo holiday lights?
Wild Nights & Holiday Lights tickets are sold only online, through Eventhub, starting Nov 1, 2026. Admission is $14.17 with fees for everyone 2 and older, and the Starlight Express train is a separate $8.86 ticket. Entry is timed, so arrive in the window on your ticket, then stay as long as you like until 8:30 p.m. It runs Dec 4–6, 10–13 and 18–22, and heavy rain or wind cancels a night. Park behind City Hall at 52 Natoma St.
How we made this list
We searched the web (Exa) for Christmas light displays and holiday light shows across the Sacramento area, then read each event’s own page, or the family’s own listing, the city’s page or a local news story for private homes, in October 2026. We left out light-installation companies, displays we couldn’t tie to a recent season, and the Westfield Galleria and Bayside drive-through, which had no current listing. Dates marked 2025 are last year’s; check each display before you go.
No one paid to be on it. It’s information to start from, not medical or legal advice: check services, costs and coverage with each provider before you book. Spotted something out of date, or run a place that belongs here? Write to hello@summerground.com.
Sources
- 2026 Wild Nights and Holiday Lights tickets (Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary)
- Winter Wonderland, Fairytale Town
- Theatre of Lights FAQ (Downtown Sacramento Partnership)
- 2025 Folsom Holiday Lights Contest (City of Folsom)
- 2026 Illumination Holiday Festival (City of Elk Grove)
- Imaginarium at Cal Expo
- Cal Expo event calendar
- Special Events, Sacramento Zoo
- Cars pack Sacramento’s Fab 40s for Christmas night (CBS Sacramento)
- Popular Sacramento-area Christmas lights drive-thru paused for 2023 (CBS Sacramento)