The Waukee Brief
When the temperature drops and the calendar hits December, central Iowa lights up. Waukee neighborhoods put on a show, and two of the metro's biggest light displays are a short drive away. Here's where to go, whether you want to stay in the warm car or bundle up and walk.
For the big shows near Waukee, Jolly Holiday Lights is a drive-through at the Iowa State Fairgrounds (about 25 to 30 minutes east, and it supports Make-A-Wish Iowa), and Reiman Gardens in Ames (about 40 minutes north) does a ticketed walk-through with more than 150,000 lights. Closer to home, plenty of Waukee neighborhoods light up in December, so a slow evening drive around town is worth it.
Jolly Holiday Lights transforms the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines into a drive-through of tunnels, arches, and animated scenes, about a 25 to 30 minute drive east from Waukee. It's a central Iowa tradition going back more than 20 years, and here's the best part: ticket sales benefit Make-A-Wish Iowa, so your night out helps grant wishes for local kids.
You stay in your car the whole time, which makes it the easy pick with little kids or on a bitter-cold night. It typically opens in late November and runs through early January, in the evenings, and tickets have run about $25 per car in recent years. Dates, hours, and the per-car price change year to year, so confirm the current season at jollyholiday-lights.com before you go.
If you'd rather stroll than drive, Reiman Gardens in Ames, about 40 minutes north, runs a winter walk-through with more than 150,000 lights strung across its gardens. It's ticketed, it's outdoors, and it's genuinely beautiful. Dress warm, and check current dates and admission before you make the trip.
Waukee doesn't have one single famous street, but plenty of neighborhoods go all out once December hits. A slow evening loop through the older blocks near downtown and the newer subdivisions turns up plenty of over-the-top houses. Go on a weeknight if you want to take your time, bring cocoa, and make it the whole outing.
Lights pair with dinner and something warm. Grab a bite first from our best restaurants list, warm up with a cocoa or coffee, then cruise the neighborhoods on the way home. For more cold-weather ideas, see our winter in Waukee guide and the family-friendly holiday events and trick-or-treat rundown. Doing a real tree this year? The choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms near Waukee are in that guide too.
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The two biggest displays near Waukee are Jolly Holiday Lights, a drive-through at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines about 25 to 30 minutes east, and the Reiman Gardens walk-through in Ames about 40 minutes north. Closer to home, plenty of Waukee neighborhoods light up in December, so a slow evening drive around town is worth it.
Jolly Holiday Lights turns the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines into a drive-through light display, about a 25 to 30 minute drive east from Waukee. It has run for more than 20 years and its ticket sales support Make-A-Wish Iowa. It typically opens in late November and runs through early January, in the evenings. Confirm the current dates, hours, and per-car price at jollyholiday-lights.com.
Tickets have run about $25 per car in recent years, with $1 of each ticket going to Make-A-Wish Iowa. Prices and dates are set each season, so confirm the current cost at jollyholiday-lights.com before you go.
Yes. Reiman Gardens in Ames, about 40 minutes north of Waukee, runs a winter walk-through with more than 150,000 lights across its gardens. Bundle up, it is outdoors, and check current dates and admission before you go.
Most displays open around Thanksgiving weekend in late November and run through early January. Neighborhood displays come alive in December. Because dates shift each year, confirm the current-season schedule for any display before you head out.