We track 2 displays in Delaware — the 3rd-densest city for lights in Ohio. 1 of them are free to visit.
Displays here switch on around sunset. In Delaware that means about 5:07 PM in early December and 5:07 PM by mid-month — the earliest sunsets of the year fall right in the middle of lights season. It is properly dark by about 5:37 PM, which is when the displays look their best. December nights in Delaware typically drop to around 25°F.
| Date | Sunset | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM |
| Dec 15 | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM |
| Dec 25 | 5:11 PM | 5:42 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 Delaware cluster, OpenStreetMap maps 3 public car parks and 4 public toilets. Only 9 cafés or takeaways nearby, so bring a flask if you want one.
$20-$30 per cardrive-thruthree-mile drive-thru route~30-minute driveLED displays through Alum Creek State ParkSanta Mailbox on select days
This drive-thru winds three miles through the Alum Creek State Park campgrounds, taking about 30 minutes end to end. Cars pay $20 Monday-Thursday and $30 Friday-Sunday and holiday nights, and weeknights bring shorter lines; a Santa Mailbox operates on select 2025 dates.
✓ Verified 2025-2026
Freeneighborhood~300 participating houseslights choreographed to music on 88.5 FM
Around 300 homes in Delaware's Glenross subdivision choreograph their lights to Christmas music broadcast on 88.5 FM. The free neighborhood show runs nightly from Thanksgiving until just after New Year's.
✓ Verified 2025-2026
Know a display we're missing in Delaware?Add it to the guide.