Discover Boise’s Holiday Magic: These 7 Christmas Light Displays Are a Must-See
LOOKING FOR AMAZING CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAYS IN BOISE?
You’ve come to the right place! I was born and raised in Boise, a truly magical place to spend the holidays. Every year, my family loves visiting the different Christmas light displays around the Treasure Valley.
Lots of the Christmas lights start around Thanksgiving time, giving you plenty of time to visit numerous displays and start some new family traditions of your own. Here are my family’s favorite places to see Christmas lights.
7 Places to See Christmas Lights in Boise
1. Winter Wonderland at Indian Creek Plaza (Caldwell)
Cost: Free
Dates: Nov 17, 2023 – Jan 8, 2024
Winter Wonderland is our favorite place to see Christmas lights in the Boise area. It is a Christmas light display that we visit at least once a year, sometimes twice. This display features over a million holiday lights plus all sorts of fun characters, a light tunnel, and a fire-breathing dragon.
Our family loves to grab some hot chocolate at the coffee shop at Indian Creek to enjoy while we enjoy the lights.
There are lots of other fun things to do at Indian Creek Plaza, either before or after seeing the lights. There is a small musical instrument play area just south of the ice-skating rink that my kids love to play at.
You can also visit the ice-skating ribbon. This is where we go ice skating every year. It is a really nice track with a circular area where less-experienced ice skaters can practice.
There are also horse-drawn carriage rides that take you through the magically decorated streets. The price for the carriage ride is $12-$18 per person, depending on the ride you pick. It is recommended to make reservations through Idaho Outfitters.
There is lots of available parking around the downtown area. If you are visiting on a busy night and can’t find parking, you can park along the railroad from 5th Avenue to 12th Avenue.
If you don’t want to worry about finding parking, there is also a shuttle that runs on Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm. Here are the shuttle pickup points –
- Elevate Academy – 114 W Chicago Street
- 21st Street Parking Lot Near the Fairgrounds
- Corner of 6th & Arthur at TVCC
2. Scentsy Commons (Meridian)
Cost: Free
Dates: Nov 10, 2023 – Jan 15, 2024
The Scentsy Commons Christmas light display is another great place to see Christmas lights for free.
The Scentsy campus is filled with about 900,000 Christmas lights, as well as a 75-foot tall light-up Christmas tree. Our favorite part of this Christmas light display is the long tunnel made up of Christmas lights. My kids run through it at least ten times during each visit.
There is also a really nice pathway taking you around the campus, where you can find about 450 trees with lights on them. If you’re looking for things to do in Boise in December, this should definitely be on your list.
Krispy Kreme Donuts is also just up the road. We usually stop for a dozen donuts after we see the lights for a fun treat!
3. Winter Garden aGlow at the Botanical Garden (Boise)
Cost: $18 (nonmembers) | $14 (members) | $14 (ages 4-12) | Free for active military and kids under 4
Dates: Nov 23 – Dec 31
If you don’t want to drive out to Caldwell to see Christmas lights, Winter Garden aGlow at the Botanical Garden is a great place to see holiday lights in Boise. The garden is open Wednesdays through Sundays.
However, you do have to pay to see these lights. Keep in mind this is one of the largest fundraisers at the gardens during the year, so your money is going towards a great cause. You do need to buy your tickets ahead of time.
Last year we looked at the lights here and really enjoyed our time in the gardens. The area is decorated so beautifully, and there are lots of other fun things to see along the way, like Santa’s cottage and live music.
You can even warm up with some hot cocoa at one of the fire pits located throughout the garden.
If you do decide to visit the botanical garden, be sure to check their events calendar before buying your tickets. There are lots of great events throughout the month, including visits from Santa and his reindeer Prancer.
We prefer the free lights in Caldwell over paying to see these ones, but it was fun to go see the lights here last year. It is a display that I think is worth seeing once unless you aren’t totally cheap like us, and then you could easily enjoy these Christmas lights every year. 😊
4. Christmas in Color (Garden City)
Cost: Starting at $45 per Vehicle
Dates: Nov 17 – Dec 30
If you’re worried about walking through the cold weather to see Christmas lights, Christmas in Color at Expo Idaho is a great solution. This is a drive-thru holiday light show that is meant to impress.
Not only are there millions of lights to enjoy, but the lights are synced to Christmas music you play through your vehicle’s radio. There is a really fun and colorful tunnel you get to drive through, along with lots of fun displays you get to drive by, like snowmen and Santas.
Grab some glowsticks before you head out, or add them to your cart when you checkout for an added bonus of fun in the car.
5. The Village at Meridian (Meridian)
Cost: Free
Dates: Holiday Season
The Village at Meridian has everything we love about the Christmas season – holiday lights, hot chocolate, Santa, ice skating, and a huge Christmas tree. Every holiday season, we visit the Village at Meridian at least a couple of times.
This outdoor shopping area turns into a charming Christmas village as soon as the end of November hits. There are thousands of holiday lights on display, as well as the most charming Christmas cottage you can visit to take pictures with Santa. Plus, don’t miss out on the huge lit-up reindeer at the entrances.
Along with enjoying the holiday lights, you can go ice skating, watch a fountain display paired with holiday music, grab a cup of hot chocolate, take pictures with Santa, get some holiday shopping done, or grab dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.
Keep in mind that the holiday lights here won’t be as dense as the other places on this list; however, if you’re looking for a great area for Christmas spirit, this is it.
6. Self-Guided Driving Tour
Cost: Free
Dates: Holiday Season
There is a fantastic map of the entire Treasure Valley with hundreds of Christmas light displays marked. The map even goes as far as labeling whether there is music to go along with the displays.
Grab some hot chocolate and set off to find local Christmas lights in your neighborhood. My kids always love seeing the neighbor’s blow-up lawn holiday decorations and how many different colors of lights they can find.
You can view the Christmas map here. The map also has a few markings just outside the Treasure Valley if you’re looking for an overnight winter getaway in Idaho.
7. Treasure Valley Night Light Parade (Caldwell)
Cost: Free
Date: December 2, 6 pm
If the lights at the Winter Wonderland at Indian Creek Plaza weren’t enough, you can stop by the annual Treasure Valley Night Light Parade in Caldwell. This parade is one every holiday enthusiast will love, especially with a cup of hot chocolate in his or her hand.
The parade features about two miles worth of beautifully decorated floats featuring lots of glittering holiday lights and fun for the entire family. My kids absolutely love parades and Christmas, so combining the two makes for a really fun Christmas tradition.
The 2023 theme for the parade is the Ugly Christmas Sweater. The parade route starts at the intersection of Linden and Cleveland and ends at the intersection of Kimball and Cleveland.
Conclusion: Christmas Lights in Boise
I hope this guide has been helpful in finding Christmas lights to brighten up your holiday season in Boise, Idaho. There are so many great displays to visit whether you’re looking for free lights or you have more of a budget.
Don’t count out the free displays at Indian Creek and Scentsy Commons. They are spectacular and places we visit every year with our kids. Every year, we look forward to our Christmas traditions of going to see Christmas lights, cutting down our own tree from the mountains, and going sledding.
Be sure to check out our guide if you’re looking for other ideas for fun things to do in Boise in the winter. It is such a magical time in the Treasure Valley.
