Map, guide to Lexington’s best, brightest Christmas light displays
Back in the olden days, before parents dressed up their tots in their Christmas finest for teatime with Mrs. Claus and train rides with Santa, families sometimes engaged in a much simpler — and cheaper — form of holiday entertainment.
They’d all pile in the family car and just drive around town to look at homes aglow with lights.
This year, the creators of some of Lexington’s most dazzling light displays have come together to make it easier for residents to bring back that old tradition, which they say is perfect for the coronavirus era.
They have formed the Lexington Light Show Collaboration and created a Google map to help people plan a route to their free entertainment.
The group includes Ron Turner, whose “White Christmas House” on Chinoe Road is a Lexington staple, and Lexington Fire Department’s Station 20 off Harrodsburg Road, where an elaborate display has been has been going strong since 2006.
“People are always asking where they can go to see light shows in the community, so we decided to create this map and share it on our social media accounts,” Ryan Jones said in a news release. “We think that Christmas lights will be hugely popular this year due to the changes people are facing as a result of COVID-19, and we want to make it easy to participate in a great social distancing activity.”
Jones’ family home is one of two houses on Abbington Hill with a display on the map. Other displays include houses on Mt. McKinley Way and Toronto Road, where the lawn is packed with an amazing assortment of blow-up characters.
One display on the map, Wild Lights Kentucky, is in Nicholasville. It’s the creation of 14-year-old Zach Nielson, whose fascination with electricity first led him to set up a display four years ago. The display also includes music on an FM radio channel and a charitable component: Nielson is collecting money and food donations for Porter Memorial Baptist Church’s pantry ministry.
For those craving even more neighborhood light displays, the social media site Nextdoor has partnered with the Hallmark Channel to offer a Holiday Cheer Map. Users can add their own home to the map and find out where else in their neighborhood to see Christmas lights. Dozens of Lexington residents have already marked their homes on the map.
Ron Turner has been putting up a giant display at his white house on Chinoe Road for nearly three decades, and he thinks this year it’s particularly important.
“As I was starting to put up my Christmas lights in late October, a man called me and asked why I was putting them up during a pandemic,” Turner said in the news release from the collaboration. “My answer to him was, ‘I’ve been doing this for 27 years, and because of the pandemic, I’m going to make it brighter than ever. To show everyone there is light at the end of the tunnel.’ I’m adding more reindeer, snowmen and special light fixtures to make this house look like it’s floating on clouds.
“This year especially, everyone needs to go over and above in decorating to show the true spirit of Christmas. I hope God and his Son, Jesus, look down on all of the homes that are lit and decorated, and see that we still care and love the real meaning of Christmas.”
Lexington Light Show Collaboration
Here are the locations of some of Lexington’s biggest and best holiday lights:
- Abbington Hill Lights: 1713 Abbington Hill
- Jones Family Christmas Light and Music Show: 1748 Abbington Hill
- Lexington Fire Station 20: 3001 Arrowhead Dr.
- The Turner White Christmas House: 1008 Chinoe Rd.
- Mt. McKinley Lights: 2956 Mt McKinley Way
- Toronto Rd. Holidays: 200 Toronto Rd.
- Wild Lights KY: 112 Bernie Trail, Nicholasville
