Drive Our Christmas Light Tour around Olympia

oly lightstravaganza
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By Alyssa Ramsfield

Alley Oop LogoStreets are glowing with strings of lights perfectly placed from roof line to roof line. The bushes are twinkling with tiny stars. A life-size Santa Claus waves in the front yard. It’s the perfect time of year to fill your mug with hot cocoa, load up into the family vehicle, and gaze at the sparkling holiday lights across Thurston County.  Use the map below to organize your route and find specific driving directions.

olympia christmas lights
Over 40,000 lights are on display at The Lights at Ken Lake.

Ken Lake Neighborhood

The first stop on our tour is Ken Lake. Located just off Black Lake Boulevard, this community takes their light displays seriously. The Lights at Ken Lake should not be missed. Christopher McGough is the man behind the spectacle. Synchronized holiday music with flashing lights help bring the magic of Christmas to life. Please bring cash or food donations during your visit. This display helped to donate more than 16 banana boxes worth of food to the Thurston County Food Bank last year.  Learn more about the people that make this light display happen in this article.

Oly Lightstravaganza

One of the most incredible displays has to be Oly Lightstravaganza. Nearly 40,000 lights shine brightly at this unbelievable show. Scrumptious homemade cookies and warm cider are available on select days with donations benefiting the Thurston County Food Bank.  You can read more about Whitney and Luke Bowerman’s story here.

christmas lights olympia
Oly Lightstravaganza is a home owned by Whitney and Luke Bowerman. They have spent countless hours preparing for their light show.

The Cove Neighborhood

The next neighborhood on our list is The Cove. This Henderson Boulevard gem boasts an entire street lighting the night sky. Just about every house participates in the annual event and the results are spectacular. On weekends, some of the youngest inhabitants have been known to sell cocoa and cookies to onlookers.

The Farm Neighborhood

From The Cove neighborhood, drive just minutes down Yelm Highway to The Farm. This neighborhood shows off their holiday spirit with a bounty of lights. The ambiance of this drive helps bring the Christmas spirit to life.

Countrywoods, Summerwood & Castle Rock Neighborhoods

Between Fir Tree and Rainier Road, in southeast Olympia, you’ll find the Countrywoods, Summerwood and Castle Rock neighborhoods running together to create a beautiful maze of lights. While it is off the beaten path a bit, it is well worth the drive.  One reader says that the Summerwood neighborhood has “almost every house decorated, each one a little different than the other.”

City of Lacey
Take a stroll through Huntamer Park in Lacey.

Huntamer Park in Woodland Square

Lacey’s Huntamer Park lit their annual Christmas tree on December 4.  Now, the park lights up daily starting at dusk. It is the perfect place to take a stroll and become captivated by the shining display.

1630 – 26th Ave NE in Olympia

Thanks to our reader for adding this light display to our list.  You can either drive past this light display or walk through it, the choice is yours.  Also known as the Christmas Comics display, the light show is on daily from 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. through January 1.

3747 – 107th Ave SW

This is the cherry on the Thurston County Christmas lights sundae. The colossal show is bound to delight children of all ages with stars hanging from the trees and messages of the season scrawled out for all to see. Beginning at dusk, visitors can stop in the Christmas shop for gifts while they take in the beautiful, glistening lights. Owners, Steven and Susan Hurst, encourage visitors to donate cash or food to the Olympia Union Gospel Mission.

Start the car, bundle up, and get into the Christmas spirit with a jolly tour of Thurston County’s numerous illuminations during this holiday season.

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