Aurora Ranked Among Best Places To See Christmas Lights

AURORA, IL — Aurora, fittingly nicknamed the City of Lights, placed among the 12 best places in the Chicagoland area to see Christmas lights, according to Time Out Chicago.

The city's Festival of Lights, organized by the Rotary Club of Aurora, is ranked 9th. In its 15th year, the wonderland provides visitors an opportunity to drive through Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive, and see a free light show.

First and second place nods from Time Out went to ZooLights, at Lincoln Park Zoo, and the City of Chicago Christmas Tree, respectively. See the full list here.

Last year, amid the pandemic, the structure at the Aurora Festival of Lights fit well with the demand for drive-through shows. More than 50,000 cars drove through the park to see Santa's toy factory, a series of giant snowflakes and other scenes, according to Time Out.

Running from Nov. 26 through Dec. 26, the Festival of Lights requires visits to sign up for a timed reservation online before visiting. While free, guests have the option to make a donation, and proceeds will be distributed to a few local charities.

Entrance to the show is at the intersection of Smith Boulevard and Fifth Avenue. Tickets can be reserved online. Shows will take place daily from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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