We track 1 display in Blowing Rock. Every one of them is free to visit.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Blowing Rock that means about 5:12 PM in early December and 5:13 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:42 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Blowing Rock typically drop to around 24°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM |
| Dec 15 | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM |
| Dec 25 | 5:18 PM | 5:47 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 Blowing Rock cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 13 public car parks and 0 public toilets. Only 1 café or takeaway nearby, so bring a flask if you want one. Note the lack of public toilets in particular if you are taking children.
Freeattractionnearly 30,000 lights around the lakelighted ice skatersnativity sceneRudolph fishing display
Chetola Resort rings its lake with nearly 30,000 lights forming scenes like ice skaters, a nativity, and Rudolph fishing, drawing thousands of visitors each winter. The drive-by display is free and lingers into late January.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
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