Experience the Magic of the Festival of Lights at Lake Julian

Buncombe County Parks & Recreation will be hosting Festival of Lights, an annual display of thousands of holiday lights around Lake Julian Park from Dec. 4 to Dec. 23. A long-time mountain family tradition, this captivating event creates a magical wonderland filled with sparkling lights and celebration. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to support the Special Olympics of Buncombe County. 

Festival of Lights offers two different experiences for attendees: a drive-thru and a walk-thru. The Festival of Lights kicks off with two walk-thru nights on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 from 6 - 8 p.m. On these special evenings, families and visitors are permitted to walk through the park on Lake Julian’s paved walkway (about half a mile) while delighting in the lightshow, kettle corn, holiday-themed crafts, hot chocolate, and more wintery activities. Admission to the walk-thru nights is only $5 for adults, and children 16 and under get in free, making it an affordable and joyful outing for families to celebrate the holiday season together. Please note that parking for the walk-thru nights will be available at Charles T. Koontz Intermediate School. This is only a short walk from Lake Julian Park. Cars will not be permitted to enter the park unless they have a need for ADA accessible parking. Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and to dress warmly. Tickets for the Walk-Thru nights can be found here. 

From Dec. 4 to Dec. 23, visitors can embark on the drive-thru journey of the light show through the park while immersing themselves in the shimmering beauty of the holiday lights. The drive-thru will occur nightly from 6 - 9 p.m. As participants drive throughout the park, they can tune into their favorite seasonal music on the radio. Admission is $10 per car for personal vehicles, $25 for sprinter vans, trailblazers, and conversion vans, and $50 for busses and motorcoaches. Purchased tickets will be valid for one-time use on any night of the festival; tickets are not date specific. Tickets for the Drive-Thru nights can be found here. 

For live updates on possible closures due to winter weather, please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages.