We track 1 display in Columbia.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Columbia that means about 4:45 PM in early December and 4:46 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:16 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Columbia typically drop to around 30°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM |
| Dec 15 | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM |
| Dec 25 | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM |
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 Columbia cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 1 public car park and 5 public toilets. There is no shortage of cafés and takeaways for a hot drink on the way round.
$25drive-thrudrive-through route at Merriweather Post Pavilionper-vehicle pricing
This drive-through display loops the grounds around Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, running from late November into early January at $25 per vehicle.
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