The name Lake Myra Christmas lights is a little misleading as it isn’t actually located on a lake at all! A whole city square in the heart of downtown Wendell has been transformed into a holiday light show set to music. You can park and watch the show from your car or get out and walk around, but either way you will be amazed at the lights and sounds of Christmas!
Is it actually on a lake?
We have visited the Lake Myra Christmas lights for many years now, but I still remember my confusion while looking for an actual lake on our first visit! It’s named after the nearby Lake Myra located about 4 miles away from the light show. The lake is not visible at all, so don’t expect to be watching Christmas lights reflect on the water!
The Christmas light display is setup in a city square in the heart of downtown Wendell. The lights have been set to a soundtrack containing storytelling and popular Christmas songs. The lights flash in beat and some of the lit up characters even appear to talk to you!
Do we stay in our car?
You can completely stay in your car if you’d like, or walk around and view the lights. There is a small parking lot with a good view, but it can get full. Some years we have had to park down the street and walk up, others we have had Rockstar parking front and center. It all depends on when you visit! They are playing the music on loud speakers, but if you stay in your car make sure you tune your radio to the correct station to hear the music.
You aren’t able to completely walk through the light display due to safety reasons, but there is a designated viewing area for people to sit or stand along the outer edges. We usually just stand for a while, watch the show, and dance along. This year we saw some people bring lawn chairs, which I thought was a genius idea!
When can I visit?
The light show runs nightly from 5:30pm to 10pm nightly, and stays open late on Friday and Saturday until 11pm. It runs from November 25th through December 31st so you can visit all the way up until New Years! Visiting the show is completely FREE but there are donation buckets placed around to help cover the electric bill.
The lights will be turned off if the weather is bad, so be sure to check the Lake Myra Facebook Page for updates before you go!
J. Ashley Wall Town Square
Adjacent to the Lake Myra light show is J. Ashley Wall Town Square. There is a stage that hosts events throughout the year, and a cute gazebo lit up in lights. My kids enjoyed running on the stage and the gazebo was a great place to take pictures!
If you want to make a night out of it, check to see if The Art of Giving Painting studio is hosting any painting classes when you plan to visit! The studio is located directly behind the light show so you could walk right over and create some art!