We track 2 displays in St. Matthews. Every one of them is free to visit.
When to go
Displays here switch on around sunset. In St. Matthews that means about 4:23 PM in early December and 4:23 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 4:53 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in St. Matthews typically drop to around 24°F.
Date
Sunset
Fully dark
Dec 1
4:23 PM
4:52 PM
Dec 15
4:23 PM
4:53 PM
Dec 25
4:28 PM
4:58 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 St. Matthews cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 25 public car parks and 0 public toilets. Only 23 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.
Brown Park, Louisville, KY · St. Matthews, Kentucky
Lighting event December 6; display lit December 6-31 (through New Year's) · typically dusk – 10 PM
FreeattractionChristmas musicletters and photos with Santatrain ridesice skatingfree cookies and hot chocolatewalk-through park display
A long-standing City of St. Matthews tradition at Brown Park that draws thousands, with Santa letters and photos, train rides, ice skating, and free cookies and hot chocolate at the kickoff event. The park's light display then stays lit nightly through New Year's for walk-through visits.
St. Matthews, Louisville, KY 40207 · St. Matthews, Kentucky
typically late Nov – early Jan (check before visiting) · typically dusk – 10 PM
Freeneighborhoodmany well-decorated homes spread across the area
Not a single subdivision but an area where brightly decorated homes are common. A good option for an unplanned evening drive up and down the streets hunting for lights.