I’ve pushed by plenty of Christmas gentle shows alongside roadways, however the Vacation Lights on the River had been the perfect I had ever seen. The two.5-mile route by a wooded county park featured wonderful lights, animated shows, and delightful pure seclusion, all from the consolation of my very own car.
Christmas Lights
The center of the Vacation Lights on the River is over one million Christmas lights in varied shows. The shows are arrange on each side of the two-lane unmarked highway by Saluda Shoals Park.
As a result of the Vacation Lights on the River are hosted by the
Irmo-Chapin Recreation Fee, a lot of the gentle shows are sports-themed.
A hard and fast show of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and an elf using bicycles greeted
me as I started the journey on the highway. Animated shows like Santa Claus and
Mrs. Claus enjoying tennis, snow falling over Santa in his sleigh, and indicators
alongside the highway added to the wonderland.
With lights on each side of the highway, and typically hanging
over the highway, there was so much to see. Greater than half the route was surrounded
by darkish woods and utterly, completely peaceable. It was probably the most
spectacular drive-thru gentle shows I’d ever come throughout.
The two.5-mile route was effectively marked and simple to comply with. It took me about 45 minutes to get by it (minus all of the stops I made for the photographs).
READ MORE: 4 Locations to Discover Lovely Christmas Lights in Columbia, SC (Up to date for 2021)
Household Actions on the Environmental Heart
About two miles into the driving route you’ll come to the Environmental
Heart close to the primary entrance to the park. There’s loads of parking to
take a break from using your brakes by the park and luxuriate in some household
actions.
Go for a stroll on the Wetland Path to take pleasure in a spectacular Laser Mild Present. The path is simple to stroll and doesn’t embody any precise moist land on the path.
Exterior there have been a few fireplace pits the place individuals had been getting heat and roasting marshmallows. Close by distributors had been promoting marshmallows, sizzling chocolate, and sizzling apple cider. Children may trip the Saluda Shoals Park prepare or slide down the Winter Surprise Tube Slide.
Inside, the place it was good and heat, an space had been arrange for making vacation crafts. Santa’s Claus’et Present Store had a couple of present concepts. One of the best half was the nice and cozy restrooms with no line (not less than for the lads’s room).
Observe: The one restrooms at Vacation Lights on the River are positioned on the Environmental Heart. It’s not potential to shortly drive there from anyplace else within the park so be ready.
READ MORE: 9 Improbable Christmas Occasions You Don’t Need to Miss in Columbia, SC (Up to date for 2021)
Images with Santa
Santa will make an look on the Environmental Heart on November 25-27, December 2-3, and December 9-23. For an extra payment households can get skilled photographs with Santa whereas having fun with the opposite actions. You additionally must pay admission to the Vacation Lights on the River and drive by the park together with the remainder of the site visitors.
When are the Vacation Lights on the River?
The Holidays Lights on the River begins on Thursday, November 24 and continues each night time till Saturday, December 31. Entry begins at 6 p.m. with the final autos admitted at 10 p.m. However if you wish to spend much less time ready on admission, plan to reach not less than an hour early.
How A lot Does Vacation Lights on the River Price?
Admission to the Vacation Lights on the River is $25 per passenger car. So, how many individuals can match into the household automobile?
Attending to the Vacation Lights on the River
I can not stress how necessary it’s to know get to the doorway for the Vacation Lights on the River. Trace: it’s not the primary entrance you’ll discover in your GPS or Google Maps!
The doorway to the Vacation Lights on the River is simply off
St. Andrews Street close to the intersection with Bush River Street (that results in the
regular primary entrance). If you wish to seek for this entrance in your telephone
for navigation, seek for “Saluda Shoals Soccer Park” at 6071 St. Andrews
Street.
When you flip onto this highway you can find an unlimited
parking zone was a twisty, curvy path for autos to park. Individuals wait
right here in line for entry to start.
The exit to the Vacation Lights on the River is the conventional primary entrance on Bush River Street. When you’re eager to drive by once more (I drove by twice myself) flip proper onto Bush River Street and proceed simply 1.6 miles to St. Andrews Street. Even when you don’t need to drive by once more that’s sadly the one option to get again to the interstate; site visitors will get congested so be ready.
Ideas for benefiting from the Vacation Lights on the
River
It’s fully potential to simply present up, drive by the
park, and go away whereas having the time of your life. However listed below are a couple of further
ideas which may assist make the Vacation Lights on the River even higher:
- Arrive not less than an hour early, particularly on the weekends. As soon as entry begins it may possibly take as much as thirty minutes simply to get the automobiles within the ready space into the park.
- Deliver meals and make a picnic out of it! When you’re gonna arrive early may as effectively make a household night time out of your entire occasion.
- Have money for quicker entrance into the park.
- Attempt to preserve off the brake lights as a lot as potential. It’s actually the one draw back to drive by Christmas gentle shows.
- The highway by the park is an unmarked two-lane highway. If you wish to cease for a second, are likely to the household, or seize some photographs, pull off to the facet so the opposite automobiles can get round.
- As soon as entry begins count on to attend anyplace from 20-40 minutes to get by the ready space within the parking zone and even longer if the road extends to St. Andrews Street.
- It takes about 45 minutes to drive by your entire park.
- It’ll take round 10-Half-hour to return to St. Andrews Street from the exit to the park.