Southern Lights

Featured Event

Southern Lights
Holiday Festival

The Southern Lights Holiday Festival presented by Friends of Coal
is a three-mile driving tour through brilliant holiday lights!

Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Santa at Southern Lights
Smores Gathering
Mustang Troop Southern Lights
Kids Play at Southern Lights Playground

Spectacular Sights on Holiday Nights

Celebrating its 27th year at the Kentucky Horse Park, Southern Lights presented by Friends of Coal is a magical holiday tradition for thousands of families from throughout the Bluegrass and beyond. In 2019, more than 100,000 individuals in nearly 25,000 vehicles traveled through the miles of dazzling holiday light displays along the charming farm lanes at the Kentucky Horse Park.

See over a million twinkling lights from the safety of your car!

Friendly – Affordable – Safe

Nov. 22 – Dec. 31 | 5:30-10:00 PM | Purchase online tickets HERE!

Event Information

Drive through the lights nightly, November 22-December 31 from 5:30-10:00 pm. Tickets are $25 per carload, purchase online tickets to expedite entry or at the gate with cash or card.

NEW in 2020! Limited Edition Kentucky Horse Park Ornament ($10) and Custom Southern Lights Face Mask ($5) – available for purchase with online tickets, at Animal Land, or at the Kettle Corn Cabin!

Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Southern Lights
Friends of Coal

Friends of Coal Partnership

The Southern Lights Holiday Festival is honored to partner with its presenting sponsor Friends of Coal again in 2020. Thank you, Friends of Coal, for keeping the lights on!

Sponsors 2020

Santa's List

Santa’s List

Download Santa’s list, fill it out, and then drop it off in the North Pole Mailbox at Southern Lights.

Download Santas List

Plan Your Visit

Southern Lights is open nightly, Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 through Thursday, December 31st, 2020 from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM. Thursdays-Sundays are very popular nights at Southern Lights. During these nights, long lines and wait times should be expected. Guests can now purchase tickets online which will help expedite your entry.

Named one of Kentucky’s Top 10 Winter/Holiday Festivals and Events by Kentucky Travel and Tourism, Southern Lights is a favorite holiday tradition throughout the Bluegrass and beyond. Southern Lights is a three-mile driving tour of lights that is a joy for the whole family! This year Santa will be incorporated into the driving route, where families can wave hello and have the option to drop off letters in Santa’s North Pole Mailbox. Download your Santa Stationary here. Forget your letter? Santa’s elves will have extra stationary when you arrive, so think ahead of what you want to ask Santa for this year!

At the end of the route, visitors have the option to park and explore Animal Land (included in admission), ride a Camel ($6/person), or Pony ($10/person), and visit the Animal Land or Kettle Corn Shop for Southern Lights Merchandise!

Food trucks and Kettle Corn will be available at the end of the route near Animal Land.

Public restrooms are available by the Campground Entrance and Animal Land.

All indoor attractions are closed this year due to COVID. Our staff is working diligently to keep everyone safe and healthy while experiencing the brilliant holiday lights!

Have more questions? Call us (833)-KY LIGHT (833-595-4448)

Southern Lights

Address & Directions

Kentucky Horse Park *Campground Entrance*
4089 Iron Works Pike
Lexington, KY 40511

The Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance is located approximately 4 miles north of Lexington’s New Circle Road and 9 miles from downtown Lexington, and 3 miles south of Georgetown on Iron Works Pike, at I-75, exit 120. The campground’s entrance is just east of the main entrance to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Please use “Iron Works Pike” (not “Iron Works Parkway”) when using GPS service, as this will take you to the park’s main entrance, and the campground is just a half-mile down the road from there.

From Louisville:

Follow I-64 E to KY-1973/Iron Works Pike in Lexington. Take exit 120 from I-75 N.
Follow Iron Works Pike for 2 min (0.6 mi) to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance.

From Cincinnati:

Drive from I-75 S to Lexington. Take exit 120 from I-75 S.
Follow Iron Works Pike for 3 min (0.9 mi) to the Kentucky Horse Park Campground Entrance.

Southern Lights

Frequently Asked Questions

Attractions

Besides the driving route, Animal Land, pony and camel rides will be open this year.  They are open every night from 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.  The Visitor Center, Craft Fair, Parakeet Experience, Train Exhibit and Mini Train Ride WILL NOT be open this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Animal land is a live exotic zoo that is located under a tent.

There will be a variety of animals, including baby camels, kangaroos, mini donkeys, mini Zebras, sheep, goats, and alpacas.

$1 feed cone, $3 cup of carrots. No coin machines this year.

$6 per pony ride, $9 for a picture & a pony ride, $6 picture on a pony only, and $6 per camel ride.

There is no age requirement to ride either a pony or a camel.

There is a 100-pound weight limit on the ponies. Weight limits are at the discretion of the camel caretakers.

There are no craft vendors this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Due to its location in the Visitor Center, the gift shop will be closed this year.

No, the Visitor Center and grounds are closed to the public this year.

COVID-19 Protocol

We will be following all Covid-19 sanitizing and distancing protocols set by the Governor’s office.  Wearing masks when outside your vehicle is strongly encouraged, especially when you cannot keep a safe 6-foot distance from outside parties.  Masks will be required when entering Animal Land.

We ask guests to obey the Executive Order set by Kentucky’s Governor.

Wearing masks when outside your vehicle is strongly encouraged, especially when you cannot keep a safe 6-foot distance from outside parties. Masks will be required when entering Animal Land.

Dates/Time

Sunday, November 22 – Thursday, December 31, 5:30-10:00 p.m. each night.

Santa is at Southern Lights Nov. 22-Dec. 24., 5:30-10:00 p.m.

Nov. 22- Dec. 31., 5:30 -10:00 p.m. each night.

Directions

Kentucky Horse Park
3785 Campground Road
Lexington, KY 40511

The Kentucky Horse Park Campground is located approximately 4 miles north of Lexington’s New Circle Road and 9 miles from downtown Lexington, and 3 miles south of Georgetown on Iron Works Pike, at I-75, exit 120.

Food & Beverage

The Original Kettle Korn, and High Horizons (gourmet coffee, hot chocolate, pastries, sandwiches)

No

Payment/Pricing

$25 personal car, Extended van, RV, Limousine
$65 Mini Bus
$80 School Bus
$160 Motor Coach

We encourage you to purchase tickets online at www.southernlightsky.com.  You can also purchase tickets when you arrive at Southern Lights.

Cash, check or credit/debit cards are accepted for admission to drive through the lights. Online tickets are available this year and encouraged, you can purchase your tickets at www.southernlightsky.com  Pony & Camel rides are cash only.

Yes, entrance to Animal Land is included with your Southern Lights tickets.

There are additional costs for pony rides ($6), picture and a pony ride ($9), picture on a pony only ($6), and camel ride ($6) and any food you may wish to purchase.

No

Yes, please call Etix customer service – open 9am-8pm Monday-Friday, 1-800-514-3849

$1 feed cone, $3 cup of carrots.  No coin machines this year.

$6 per pony ride, $9 for a picture & a pony ride, $6 picture on a pony only, and $6 per camel ride.

No there is no will-call available.  We encourage you to purchase tickets online at www.sourthernlightsky.com.

Pets

Leashed pets are allowed, but not in the Animal Land tent.

Restrooms

There are porta-lets located at the beginning of the route and by the Animal Land tent.

Santa

This year Santa will be incorporated in our driving route so children will be able to wave hello while remaining socially distant in their cars and have the opportunity to drop off their Santa letters in his North Pole mail box. You can download a Santa letter on our website: www.southernlightsky.org. Santa will be at Southern Lights Nov. 22-Dec. 24.

Santa’s last night at Southern Lights is December 24th.

No. The Southern Lights entrance is one way and begins with the light displays. You will enter Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park CAMPGROUND entrance for the driving tour, arriving at Animal Land at the end of the driving route.

Traffic

Yes! Please come prepared to wait in line. On SOLD OUT nights the wait can extend to 3 hours. Bring dinner, snacks, a movie…whatever you need to keep folks entertained.

There are 3 miles of lights to see at Southern Lights.

Weeknights are typically slower than weekends. We do expect an increase of traffic this year. Historically our busiest times are from the second week in December through Christmas.

Miscellaneous

No.  The Southern Lights Tour is a vehicle tour only for your safety, no other modes of transportation are allowed.

Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to offer carriage rides.

Due to safety concerns, riding through Southern Lights in the back of a pick-up truck or in/on a trailer that is connected to a vehicle is prohibited.

Yes, we are wheelchair accessible. *We do not offer wheelchair rentals.

Please contact the Southern Lights office by email foundation@khpfoundation.org for available options.

Weather

Southern Lights is open rain or shine!  On very rare occasions, when driving conditions are deemed extremely hazardous due to ice or heavy snow, we might cancel the event.  Local media outlets would carry the closing on their list of weather-related closings in that event.

Animal Land and the pony & camel rides are located outside under a tent.  Please dress for the weather.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation is seeking partners to sponsor the 2020 Southern Lights Holiday Festival. Contact Elizabeth Bartlett at e.bartlett@khpfoundation.org for more information.

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