One of my FAVORITE things that has evolved in the amusement park industry over the last decade or so is the rise of parks staying open for Christmas Events.
This isn’t a new concept, in fact, Hersheypark’s Christmas Candylane and Silver Dollar City’s An Old Time Christmas both opened in the late 80’s – but more recently, parks like Busch Gardens, Kings Island, Carowinds, and Kennywood have all jumped on the Christmas event train and started their own events and traditions.
Specifically, Holiday Lights at Kennywood Park opened in 2011 – making 2025 their 14th season hosting this amazing event. We weren’t there that first year, but we did visit in 2016 for the first time and it’s been a Christmas tradition for our family ever since.
I’d never claim to be an expert, but Kennywood Park is our “home park” and we do visit on a VERY regular basis. Over the last 9 years, we have learned a thing or two about going to Holiday Lights and how to have a truly magical experience. Going to Holiday Lights is very different from going to Kennywood (or any other amusement park) in the summer – and with that being said, I constantly see people asking questions in local Facebook groups about what to expect – after all, it’s November and December in south western Pennsylvania – it’s COLD. Are the roller coasters even open?!
With that being said: let me give you an overview of what you can expect at Kennywood’s Holiday Lights, as well as share some of our best tips for having the best time.
OVERVIEW
If you are familiar with Kennywood Park – the entire property is not open for Holiday Lights, but most of it is. As of 2025, Holiday Lights still has not evolved quite to the point of taking over Lost Kennywood yet (in 2024, it did start to creep back there, but park management must have felt they just weren’t ready to maintain that, so Lost Kennywood remains completely closed in 2025).
Don’t let that deter you though! There is a TON to do during Holiday Lights and honestly, it’s almost impossible to see and do it ALL in just one visit.
The park is open mid-November through the end of December on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (with a few extra days tossed in around Christmas). On Fridays, the park typically opens at 5pm, while on Saturdays and Sundays, the park typically opens at 3pm – staying open until 9pm most nights. With that being said: even if you are there from open to close, 6 hours is not really a ton of time. Just walking around and looking at the light displays is enough to take up a good chunk of time – let alone time for eating, checking out the train display, riding a few rides, and maybe watching a show – it’s suddenly 9pm before you even realize it.
With that being said: I heartily suggest NOT trying to do EVERYTHING the park has to offer during Holiday Lights, but taking the evening at a slower pace than you might typically do at an amusement park. I know we tend to take on amusement parks at a break-neck pace in order to cram as much as possible into our days, but Holiday Lights truly isn’t meant to be conquered like that. Take your time! Grab a cup of something warm to walk around with and ENJOY. Soak up the sights, dance, sing, take tons of photos, stop and really take it in. This event is meant to slow you down, center you, and bring your focus to the magic of Christmas – so let it.
Kennywood Park is the home to the tallest Christmas Tree in Pennsylvania. It stands in the center of the park at 100 feet tall, all decked out in a quarter of a million lights. It truly is a sight to behold. Every evening, the park hosts a grand tree lighting ceremony at 5:45pm – it’s so fun! They bring out all of the characters, choose someone from the crowd to push the button to light the tree – it is a stunning sight. I highly recommend being a part of this ceremony whenever you visit!
Speaking of characters, Kennywood breaks out every single character in the Palace Entertainment chain to stroll around the park (wait, I guess they’re now owned by Herschend, aren’t they?) From Kenny Kangaroo and Parker the Arrow and Jeeters (which are all Kennywood specific characters), Duke the Dragon from Dutch Wonderland, Ricky Raccoon from Idlewild, as well as a LARGE plethora of other costumed characters can be found scattered around the park. There are a pair of polar bears, a gingerbread man, a nutcracker, a teddy bear, among many others. These characters will be at the park entrance as the initial crowd of people enters and then they seem to have free reign of the park, so you can find them literally walking around everywhere all night.
Since we’re talking about characters, let’s dive into the different attractions Kennywood offers during Holiday Lights:
ATTRACTIONS
New for 2024 and back in 2025, the park invites you to visit Christmas Town and meet Sam the Snowman, Bumble, Clarice, and Rudolph in an interactive walk-through experience. This was our FAVORITE new thing for last year’s Holiday Lights and it is a MUST-DO whenever you visit Kennywood at Christmas. Simply follow the signs that point you to Rudolph’s red nose – or head over toward Steeler’s Country where you’ll see the entrance to the Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer exhibit.
Santa seems to get moved around every year for Holiday Lights, but I think he might have finally found his permanent new home in the Celebration Station where the park hosted the Easter Bunny for the first time earlier this summer. Kennywood Junction was the newly updated area of Kennywood for the 2025 season and for Holiday Lights, it has been rethemed to Gingerbread Junction – and this is where you’ll find Santa (and sometimes Mrs. Claus too!)
I will note: the park has photographers stationed at each of the official character meet and greet locations and you can get a beautiful printed souvenir if you choose. Our experience has been that they invite you to take your own photos in Christmas Town with Rudolph and his friends (the employees around will even volunteer to take a photo for you) – but they do ask you NOT to take personal photos of your family with Santa. As a professional photographer and a parent, I always like to know these little details ahead of time so things don’t get awkward. We aren’t super into Santa, so me being able to grab a few video clips of my kids talking to him is just fine by me.
New for 2025, there is also a meet and greet area set up beside the Lost Kennywood sign – but there was no one there when we walked by during our most recent visit. I’d imagine this is where Kenny Kangaroo, Parker the Arrow, or Jeeters hang out – but I can’t say for sure.
One of the crown jewels of Holiday Lights is always the MASSIVE model train display that is set up in the arcade along the main midway. This train display is absolutely gigantic and you could easily spend over an hour walking along and taking in all the detail that surrounds the trains that are constantly rolling around. There are tons of hidden “easter eggs” giving nods to not only Kennywood and it’s historical legacy, but the surrounding Pittsburgh area as well. On particularly cold nights – this is one of the best ways to step inside a heated building and warm up!
Lastly, don’t forget to write a letter to Santa! There is a sweet little decorated building across from the Garden Stage and the Pagoda where you can sit down and list out exactly what you’d like Santa to bring you. In years past, if you’ve written your name and address on the back of your letter, Santa has sent a response back in the mail (but the elves monitoring the station didn’t mention it this year, so – give it a try, but no promises!)
SHOWS
There are rides open at Kennywood during Holiday Lights – and we’ll get there, but let’s talk about the shows first since they go hand in hand with the “attractions”.
I’ve already mentioned the Grand Tree Lighting Ceremony, which happens every night at 5:45pm, but before that – you can witness Santa arriving on the Gingerbread Express in Gingerbread Junction every single night just 15 minutes after the park opens. If your little ones are deep into Santa – they will really love this!
Holiday Reflections is the light show that happens around the Lagoon – it starts at 6pm and runs every 30 minutes until the park closes. The “center stage” for this show are lights set up out in the middle of the Lagoon that are all synchronized to the music that plays, but the lights surrounding the Lagoon flash and play to the music as well. The park has a “viewing area” set up to the left of the Jack Rabbit photo stand, but I think the better viewing area is to the right of the same stand. You get more of a “straight on” view of the show and there are less people over there! In other words: SHH, that’s our little secret.
On the Kennyville Stage (this is the one across from the Potato Patch and Noah’s Ark) they have a Jingle Bell Jamboree show that happens every night at 4:30pm, 7pm, and 8pm. This is a music and dance show featuring your favorite Kennywood characters.
Also on the Kennyville Stage – on select nights, the park invites in local celebrities to read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. My favorite is when Rick Sebak is there to read – if you know, you know!
New for 2025, Kennywood has invited local groups in to present a variety of performances on the Garden Stage (this is the stage in the middle of Kennywood – kind of across from Kiddieland – the stage with the bleacher seats). These performances range from local choirs, to dance groups, to performing arts groups. You can access the full schedule of who will be performing what nights on Kennywood’s website.
I think that’s all of the shows – there are QUITE a few going on every single night!
FOOD
My favorite topic to think about: special seasonal Christmas food! Every year these food options seem to get bigger and better than ever!
Almost all of the major food stands in the park, from Carousel Burger to The Golden Nugget, to Jeeter’s Pub to the Parkside Cafe have specialty Christmas foods. Instead of listing them all out here, I’ll just hit a few of the highlights and our favorite things!
As always: you can get a traditional turkey dinner inside of the Parkside Cafe – and new for 2025, they also have a bread bowl mac and cheese topped with pulled pork (which we tried, it was delicious!) Parkside Cafe also has a selection of soups served in bread bowls – these are always a huge hit, especially on the coldest nights.
If you’re looking for a festive funnel cake, the Star Refreshments Stand (the one across from the entrance to Steeler Country) is where you want to go. For Holiday Lights they offer a candy cane funnel cake, a holiday candy funnel cake, and a s’mores funnel cake.
Around the lagoon, the booths that house the Bites and Pints locations offer a variety of foods, from turkey legs, to a Mississippi pot roast and mashed potato bowl (this one is on my list of foods I want to get next time we visit), a loaded Thanksgiving sandwich, and warm apple pie with ice cream on top.
If you need something to warm your hands up, 1898 Coffee Co. has specialty lattes, coffees, and hot chocolate (and don’t tell anyone, but the donuts and pastries in there are literally to die for – they are baked fresh daily by local businesses and they are a smashing hit every time we get them!)
And of course, you can’t leave Kennywood without a quick stop into Kandy Kaleidoscope for some delicious homemade fudge, hand-dipped chocolates, and caramel apples.
So yes, the food options are extensive. No matter what you’re in the mood for – Kennywood probably has it for Holiday Lights.
I’ll mention two more specialty food items:
In Gingerbread Junction there is a cookie decoration station (which looks like so much fun) and as a very special add on to your evening, you can purchase tickets to a dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus. This is an all you can eat buffet in the End Zone Cafe (which is all decorated for Christmas) with Santa and Mrs. Claus as special guests. This is a separate ticketed event that you do have to pick a date and time for – so if you’re interested, Kennywood’s website has all the details.
RIDES
Can you believe I’ve talked for this long and I still haven’t gotten to the rides that are open yet? If you aren’t convinced that there is SO much to do at Holiday Lights – well, I’ll keep talking!
In addition to EVERYTHING I’ve already mentioned, the park has 25 rides open each night (weather permitting, of course). These rides range from Aero 360, to Ghostwood Estate (which has a special Christmas overlay), the Kangaroo, Turtles, Noah’s Ark, Pirate Ship, Spinvasion, the Carousel, and many many more.
Jack Rabbit is the only roller coaster open during Holiday Lights in 2025 (last year, Racer was open, but it’s undergoing some extensive re-tracking this winter, so it’s not open this year). There’s nothing quite like riding Jack Rabbit in the dark and in the cold!
Speaking of cold, Jack Rabbit, as well as a few other of the more “thrill rides” can only operate if the temperatures are above 40ºF. As soon as temps drop below that mark, the park does shut down Jack Rabbit, Spinvasion, and Aero 360. If it’s snowing and icy, other rides may not be able to operate safely either.
In other words: if you are heading to Holiday Lights on a night where the temperature will be dropping below 40ºF and you really want to ride Jack Rabbit – make sure you hit the coaster up FIRST. We’ve been at Holiday Lights multiple times where Jack Rabbit is open for the first hour or two and then it is closed for the rest of the night. Like I said, it’s a super cool experience, so plan accordingly.
TIPS AND TRICKS
A few tips and tricks to make your evening at Holiday Lights the best experience possible:
1. Arrive Early – the park does get busier as the night goes on and lines can get very long, especially at the “main” attractions (like Jack Rabbit, meeting Rudolph and Santa, and the train exhibit). So I heartily suggest arriving early and hitting your “must do” attractions first. There is A LOT to do at Holiday Lights, so take a moment to think about what you want to do the most, and make those things a priority before the big crowds arrive.
2. Buy Your Tickets Online – Kennywood Park is almost always running a special discount on Holiday Lights tickets when you buy them ahead of time online. I’ve seen tickets as low as $19.99 – which considering all there is to do at Kennywood during Holiday Lights, this is an INCREDIBLE deal! Holiday Lights is included in a Kennywood season pass and at the end of the year, the park tends to offer even more incentives than ever to purchase a season pass for the next year (like giving extra free tickets to Holiday Lights for you to bring your friends). So, check out the offers available online before you go!
3. The park does have an updated set of park rules and security measures for Holiday Lights – these are clearly posted online and on signs outside the main gate, but just so you’re aware before you arrive:
Guests age 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult (at least 21 years of age) to enter the park and at all times during Holiday Lights.
Only bags within the dimensions of 15”x15”x15” are permitted during Holiday Lights – with exceptions for medical and diaper bags.
And lastly: outside food & drinks are not permitted during Holiday Lights – with exceptions for one sealed water bottle or guests with special dietary needs.
4. Dress In Layers – I typically dress my kids in their warmest pajamas, then add a layer of sweatpants and sweatshirts, then put on their snowpants, winter coat, their snowboots, hat, scarf, and gloves. We’ve been at Holiday Lights when temps were in the 50’s and one time we went when temps dipped down into the teens (that was a brutally cold night). Dressing in layers gives you the best chance to keep warm, while also allowing you the freedom to take off a few layers whenever you head into a restaurant to eat or walk through the train display.
Additionally, we’ve learned that bringing hand warmers (either rechargeable ones or the throwaway ones) are one of the best kept secrets in keeping warm! Trust me, there is something MAGICAL about putting your hands into your pockets and holding onto something WARM. It truly can make or break your entire evening (especially with kids!)
5. And lastly – a few ideas on what to do if you’re COLD and need to warm up in order to keep having fun:
-There’s always a roaring fire outside of Noah’s Ark – a pretty big crowd does gather around it, but for good reason!
-You can always retreat inside of one of the restaurants – Parkside Cafe or Carousel Burger are the largest and have the most seating.
-You can go look at the train display (it’s always very warm in there!)
-Lastly, grab a cup of hot cocoa (many of the booths around the lagoon sell it) or coffee (from 1898 Coffee Co. on the main midway) – just holding a warm cup will help warm you up!
CONCLUSION
Holiday Lights at Kennywood Park is an evolving event. Every year it gets bigger and better. I remember the first year we went in 2016, I clearly remember the park advertising “over 1 million lights!” and that sounded like SO many! Now, in 2025, the park advertises “over 3 million lights!” and I definitely believe it!
Every year the park evaluates their attractions, shows, food options, and light displays and tweaks things to make things better. The evolution is SO cool to witness and I love that it truly gets better year after year.
Holiday Lights is truly an event that EVERYONE can enjoy together. A lot of times amusement parks cater heavily to thrill seekers and those who don’t like rides and roller coasters can be left feeling left out. That’s definitely not the case with Holiday Lights! With the light displays, the shows, the food, the attractions – this is truly an event that the entire family can come out and enjoy together. So bring the babies, bring the Grandmas and Grandpas, bring your aunts, uncles, and cousins and have so much fun enjoying Holiday Lights together. After all, that’s where the magic of Christmas truly resides, in simply being together, am I right?
