Christmas on Knob Hill
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Where: 1639 Knob Hill Rd, San Marcos, California
When: Throughout the holiday season
Hours: typically dusk – 10 PM
Cost: free
85,000+ lights~15,000 annual visitorsSanta appearancesfestive musicfake snowresidential
A single-home display of over 85,000 lights that draws roughly 15,000 visitors a year; the owner, now in his late 80s, has been decorating for more than 35 years and adds Santa appearances, music and fake snow.
Best time to arrive. Sunset in San Marcos is around 4:43 PM in mid-December, fully dark by about 5:11 PM. A typical December night here bottoms out near 45°F, so dress for standing around outside.
Other displays nearby
There are 3 other displays within 5 miles of this one, and 20 within 15 miles. Most people make a loop of it rather than driving out for a single house.
- Rees Road Crane Tree
- Northern Lights at California Center for the Arts
- Glendale Avenue Display
- Harmony Grove Village
- Spence Family Light House
- Eureka Lights
- Griswold Family Christmas
- Corte Ramon Themed Show
Make a night of it. This is stop 2 on our 4-stop San Marcos lights loop — about 12 miles and 45 minutes of driving in total.