Hill Ridge Farms is a popular destination in the Fall months, but they also host their well-known Festival of Lights throughout the Winter holiday season as well. The pandemic has changed quite a bit this year, but Hill Ridge has decided to go ahead with their holiday light display in a modified way.
Planning your Visit
This year the festival of lights is completely a drive through event. There are no hayrides, Santa visits, country store, or playing on the farm this year. You drive through the light display yourself without getting out of your vehicle.
Cost to drive through is $20 per car, but unlike some of the other local light displays this year you do not have to purchase a ticket online in advance. You can show up anytime from 5:30pm-10pm from 11/26-12/27 and pay your admission at the gate. They prefer cash, but you can pay with card as well. Just know that cards slow down the process and will take you a bit longer to get through the gate.
Longest Drive-thru Light Display in the area
The length of the light show was extremely impressive. Since the rest of the farm is closed to visitors, they were able to expand the lights and create over a mile long path throughout the property. Honestly I didn’t recognize where I was on the farm half of the time! It took at least 15 minutes to drive through the whole display, and I believe it is the longest light path in the area!
Our favorite part was the fake snow flakes (soap bubbles) that are blown on your car at various points along the path. We rolled down the windows and let it blow in the car, and the kids all squealed with delight!
Hill Ridge also has a light tunnel you drive through, although it wasn’t as impressive as the one at Fieldstream Farm in Garner. To compare the two shows, I think Hill Ridge has more lights overall, but the kids liked all of the familiar characters at Fieldstream. Both cost the same to drive through, so we recommend visiting both this year! What else do you have to do during a pandemic?! 😂
When is the best time to visit?
Hill Ridge Farms is reporting extremely long wait times to drive through the Festival of Lights on Friday and Saturday nights. Nearby neighbors are getting frustrated with the traffic, so consider visiting on a weekday if you can. My family drove through on a Monday night around 6pm and there was no wait at all!
You can find more information about Festival of Lights on the Hill Ridge Farms website. If you want to extend your Christmas light viewing for the night, Piper Lights isn’t too far away so you can swing by that free drive through light display as well!