LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the sun sets in the sky over the Kentucky Horse Park this time of year, a stream of headlights starts to illuminate the path to a holiday light show unlike any other in central Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

  • Southern Lights is in full swing at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington

  • The family-friendly event features over 100,000 individual holiday lights

  • This year marks 28 years for the festival of lights

  • Tickets can be purchased online

Kentucky Horse Park's Southern Lights show is a 28-year holiday tradition featuring a three-mile driving tour of light displays. It also features a Holiday Village that the whole family can enjoy.

Visitors pose for a photo under some festive lights. (Spectrum News 1/Steve France)

It's all festive, holiday-themed and primed for lots of family fun according to the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation's Elizabeth Bartlett.

But with over 100,000 individual lights, setting up the attraction is no easy feat.

"We actually start at the beginning of September every year, and we get done at about November 15," said Courtney Rue, Southern Lights Village chief. "We have about roughly in total, about 10 to 12,000 working hours that gets put into all of this. About three to 4,000 of that is just specific on electrical – of hooking up all the electricity, running cords, getting everything functioning."

Many parts of the collection of holiday scenes over the years have become favorites for all that visit, both young and old.

Southern Lights features over 100,000 festive lights. (Spectrum News 1/Steve France)

"They were great! Say, did you like the lights Palmer? They were awesome," said visitor Taryn Gibson.

Another visitor, McKinley Cornish, added praise about how they do the jingle bells.

"Oh, they were great. We come every year," said another visitor, Cord Hobgood.

At Kentucky Horse Park, it's an annual holiday tradition that seems to get bigger and better with each passing year. Bartlett said the park is honored that so many families make it part of their own holiday traditions.

"We love to see parents bring their children. And then in turn become grandparents, and bring their grandchildren," Bartlett said. "So, we love the fact that it's wonderful for multiple generations, and it's appealing to people from across the bluegrass that are interested in horses, and those that have no interest in horses. It's just a wonderful family friendly event."

The Kentucky Horse Park has become a go-to holiday tradition for many Kentucky families. (Spectrum News 1/Steve France)

You can find more information about Southern Lights and purchase your tickets online.

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