We track 2 displays in Crestwood — the 3rd-densest city for lights in Kentucky. Every one of them is free to visit.
When to go
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Crestwood that means about 5:22 PM in early December and 5:23 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:52 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Crestwood typically drop to around 24°F.
Date
Sunset
Fully dark
Dec 1
5:22 PM
5:51 PM
Dec 15
5:23 PM
5:52 PM
Dec 25
5:27 PM
5:57 PM
Practicalities
Residential displays have no facilities of their own — no parking, no toilets, nowhere to warm up — so it is worth knowing what is around. Within about three miles of the Crestwood cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 1 public car park and 0 public toilets. Only 2 cafés or takeaways nearby, so bring a flask if you want one. Note the lack of public toilets in particular if you are taking children.
Freeattractionornament making in the Diebel Barnrecreated North Polefree face painting by local Girl Scoutsfire pits for s'morescountdown to the lighting
Maples Park in Oldham County kicks off Crestwood's holiday season with free kids' activities including ornament making in the Diebel Barn, a recreated North Pole, Girl Scout face painting, and s'mores fire pits. The countdown to the big light-up begins around 6:45pm; 2025 marked the event's fifth year.
A walk-through holiday lights experience at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, held Friday and Saturday evenings from November 28 through December 20 in 2025.