Massachusetts Christmas Lights Display Makes List of Best in the U.S.

Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is right around the corner. The holiday season means folks celebrating different traditions across the country and one of the most popular events is viewing holiday lights.

The most common time for Massachusetts residents to decorate their homes with holiday lights is the weekend after Thanksgiving, or the first weekend of December, depending on the weather. Nationwide, over 150 million strings of lights are hung annually, lighting up over 80 million homes, according to Rainbow Holiday Design.

Every neighborhood has that one house, or in some cases one street that goes full-on Clark Griswold for the Christmas holiday. When a neighborhood develops a good reputation for its light displays, folks travel in car loads to check them out.

Besides the home holiday light enthusiast, there are plenty of professional Christmas light displays across the state of Massachusetts. From the Holiday Lights on Boston Common to Night Lights at the New England Botanic Garden, there are plenty to choose from, but one Massachusetts holiday light displayed was named best in the nation on a recent list.

Last year, Travel and Leisure, one of the world's most well-respected travel publications, put together a list of the Best Christmas Lights Display in Every State, which featured a Massachusetts favorite.

Best Christmas Light Display in Massachusetts

Located in western Massachusetts, Bright Nights at Forrest Park was named the best holiday light display in the Bay State.

Bright Nights at Forest Park, a collaboration between the City of Springfield and Spirit of Springfield, a private non-profit organization, has been bringing light to Forest Park in Massachusetts since it began in 1995. Throughout the season, there is a wide range of events that include a nighttime 5K race through the lights, $10 Tuesdays, and lots of appearances by the man in red.

Travel + Leisure