We track 1 display in Benson. Every one of them is free to visit.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Benson that means about 5:02 PM in early December and 5:03 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:31 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Benson typically drop to around 32°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM |
| Dec 15 | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM |
| Dec 25 | 5:08 PM | 5:36 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 Benson cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 0 public car parks and 0 public toilets. Only 7 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.
Freeattractionover 30 acres of lightsold-fashioned candy storetrain ridescarouselSanta meet-and-greet
One of eastern North Carolina's biggest displays, Meadow Lights spreads lights over more than 30 acres and adds train rides, a carousel, a candy store, and Santa visits.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Know a display we're missing in Benson?Add it to the guide.