Whether it’s the lights on the tree or colorful bulbs covering the house, the holidays are all about making things bright with the perfect combination of Christmas spirit and LED lights. In the South, there may not always be wintry weather signaling off that Santa’s on his way, so Baton Rouge alerts the start of the season in the best and brightest way: magical Christmas shows. Lighting up throughout the city this year are several beloved displays, guaranteed to spread some Christmas cheer. Read on for more details:

1. Downtown Festival of Lights

On Friday, December 6, the Downtown Development District, The City of Baton Rouge and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge will present the Downtown Festival of Lights from 4 to 6 p.m. The holiday celebration showcases the lighting of a 35 foot Christmas tree and fireworks at North Boulevard Town Square from 6 to 6:25 p.m. There will also be endless family activities, like free ice skating, live entertainment, a hot chocolate bar and more. Along with a Santa’s Gift Shop, there will be a Snow Village with 10 tons of real snow and Santa Claus himself. For more information, visit the event page here.

2. BREC ZooLights 

From November 29 to December 30, BREC‘s Baton Rouge Zoo will present its mile-long light display featuring lighted scenes of zoo animals and holiday favorites. The display includes over 50 illuminated sculptures and larger than life displays, some as tall as 30 feet. For more information, visit the event page here.

3. Baton Rouge General’s Holiday Lights

The Baton Rouge General Medical Center presents a campus full of lights and  traditional holiday scenes and music, from November 23 to December 31. To spread holiday cheer, the annual display will include singing Christmas trees, a 12-foot walk-through Christmas ornament, a 9-foot lighted alligator and over 100,000 lights. There will also be a mega Christmas tree and two smaller trees, all synchronized to holiday music hits. Throughout the holidays, the lighted display will feature two Family Nights, on Thursday, December 5 and Thursday, December 19, and Bubbly & Bright on Thursday, December 12. Fore more information, click here.

4. Westside Christmas Fest

West Baton Rouge will host the Westside Christmas Fest on December 20 and 21, from 5 to 10 p.m. At the event, attendees are encouraged to take a train ride through Christmas lights, while also enjoying live music and visits with Santa. For more information, visit the event page here.

5. Luminary Night in Kenilworth

The Kenilworth neighborhood is once again hosting its Luminary Night on Sunday, December 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. The annual event invites the community to come and enjoy the neighborhood’s Christmas lights, which include candles set out by each of the residents. For more information, click here.

6. Nottoway Plantation’s Bonfire Festival

On Saturday, December 7, Nottoway Plantation will host its 10th annual Bonfire Festival on its grounds from 5 to 9 p.m. While there will be a tree lighting ceremony, most of the lights at this event are a little different than the ordinary Christmas lawn decorations. Rather, the event will feature bonfires and fireworks up and down the levee. For more about the night’s happenings, visit the event page here.