Sarasota Christmas Lights: Best Holiday Light Displays Of 2023

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — Throughout Sarasota County, many homeowners, businesses and destinations are decked out with vivid holiday light displays.

Here are a few to check out as you and your family get into the Christmas spirit:

2650 Samovar Terrace, North Port

Vicki and Conan Michel told Patch that they’ve decorated the front corner of their 5-acre property for the holidays. Their display includes 12-foot skeletons helping with the Christmas lights near the front door.

2851 S. Shade Ave., Sarasota

One reader told Patch that she often drives by this decorated home, which is “huge fun to see.”
She added, “The people (there) do it up crazy for Halloween and then for Christmas on a major scale.”

Selby Gardens’ Downtown Campus, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota

The Lights in Bloom open-air holiday light show at the Selby Gardens’ downtown campus is a Sarasota-area tradition. It features more than 2 million lights illuminating the gardens and walkways. The show runs Dec. 12-23 and 26-30, and Jan. 1-2, 6 to 9 p.m. Find ticketing information here.

University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota

This shopping destination transforms into a brightly lit winter wonderland during the holiday season with its Festival of Lights. UTC offers nightly light shows running every 30 minutes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. through Jan. 2. There’s also a fireworks display every Saturday at 9 p.m. Learn more about the holidays at UTC here.

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” House, 4217 Iola Drive, Sarasota

This replica of the Griswold’s light display in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is always a huge hit during the holiday season. It even has Clark Griswold standing in front of the home holding up strands of lights and a replica of the family's station wagon. With more than 17,000 lights, the display switches from colored to all-white lights every other night.

Cedar Hollow Christmas Display

The Cedar Hollow neighborhood along Bunyan Street goes all out each holiday season with arches of lights and other displays to explore. The lights are on nightly through Dec. 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Colonial Gables Neighborhood

For years, this neighborhood has been known as a holiday light destination, particularly along Camu Street, Woodmont Road and Bee Ridge Road, according to rove.me.

Holiday Tour of Lights

SRQ Trolley once again offers its annual Holiday Tour of Lights touring some of the city’s best light displays, including the arch lighted streets, the gingerbread house, the copy of the “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” home and more. Tickets are $20 per person. Register online here.

• 1804 Springwood Drive (with a caroling Christmas tree leading the synchronized music)
• 5534 Cedarwood Drive (with more than 40 songs coordinating with the light display)
• 5580 Hayden Blvd. (with real snow blowing in the yard)
• 2522 Mapleloft Road
• 5542 Eastwind Drive
• 5635 Eastwind Drive
• 4020 Swift Road (with a moving homemade train set)
• 5425 Laurelwood Place
• 6834 Brentford Road
• 3643 Lakewood Drive
• 2643 Jamaica Street (with a scene decked out like the North Pole and Santa’s workshop)

Have a holiday light display you'd like to include? Send the address, a photo and more information to Tiffany.Razzano@Patch.com.