Bowling Green's 2026 holiday lights: Fountain Square Park, Santa's Lookout train rides, the Reindeer Farm from Nov. 15, Santa visits and Christmas shows.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. This page is updated each year; the dates below are for the 2026 season. Facts come from each organizer’s own site and the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s holiday page (270-782-0800). The parade and tree lighting have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Bowling Green’s lights season opens with the Reindeer Farm on Nov. 15 and peaks during Light Up BGKY, Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, when downtown’s parks light up. Out in the county, Santa’s Lookout runs train rides through a lights event on December nights.

At a glance

  • Downtown lights: Fountain Square Park and Circus Square Park, from Dec. 4
  • Santa’s Lookout: Cemetery Road (Ky. 234), December nights; book rides ahead
  • Reindeer Farm: Nov. 15 to Dec. 27, 2541 Old Union Church Road
  • Free Santa photos: Flea Land, Sundays Nov. 29 to Dec. 20
  • Parade: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. See the parade page.

Light displays

Fountain Square Park and Circus Square Park, downtown. Fountain Square Park lights at 5:30 p.m. and the community Christmas tree at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC) and Circus Square Park at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, during Light Up BGKY. The visitors bureau says Fountain Square is lit every night through the new year, and suggests a drive past the decorated historic homes around Western Kentucky University and the Shake Rag District.

Light Up BGKY map. The Light Up BGKY site keeps an interactive map of drive-through and walk-through displays around town.

Santa’s Lookout: Christmas in the Country, on Cemetery Road (Ky. 234) southeast of Bowling Green; enter at the Santa’s Lookout billboard. Guests ride the Lookout Express trackless train or a Christmas wagon through the lights, then stop at a holiday pavilion with Santa, costume characters, a Christmas camel display and a 150-foot slide (Santa’s Lookout). The ticket booth is open 5 to 6:30 p.m. nightly, and rides start boarding as early as 4:45 p.m. on select nights. General admission does not include a ride through the lights; rides are limited, so book on the ticket site. The 2026 nights had not been posted as of Oct. 16; in 2025 the event ran weekends and select dates from Dec. 5. Heavy rain or severe weather cancels a night, and the ticket office issues a rain check or refund.

Santa visits

  • Flea Land, 1100 Three Springs Road: free photos with Santa every Sunday, Nov. 29 to Dec. 20, and with the Grinch on Saturdays, Nov. 28 to Dec. 19 (Santa Sundays).
  • Santa’s Lookout: Santa is there on weekends and select nights of Christmas week. Meeting him is free; photos are sold by the event’s photographer.
  • The Reindeer Farm, 2541 Old Union Church Road: a family farm with seven reindeer, according to the visitors bureau, plus alpacas, mini cows, mini donkeys and other animals. Open Nov. 15 to Dec. 27, Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus Dec. 21-23 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Day passes are sold online (the Reindeer Farm).
  • Greenwood Mall: Santa hours are posted on the mall’s hours page.
  • Orchestra Kentucky’s J.C. Kirby and Son Christmas Spectacular, Saturday, Dec. 12, at SKyPAC, includes a visit from Santa (listing).

Christmas shows

Date Show Where
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6 The Best Gift, A Christmas Carol Musical, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday SKyPAC, 601 College St.
Friday to Sunday, Dec. 11-13 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday The Phoenix Theatre, 545 Morris Alley
Saturday, Dec. 12 Orchestra Kentucky Christmas Spectacular SKyPAC
Monday, Dec. 14 Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet SKyPAC
Saturday, Dec. 19 A Celtic Christmas SKyPAC

SKyPAC enforces a clear bag policy at ticketed events.

Historic homes by candlelight

Riverview at Hobson Grove, 1100 W. Main Ave., holds its Candlelight Tour from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 (city calendar), and its Christmas Marketplace inside the decorated house on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (city announcement).

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4. No public menorah lighting in Bowling Green had been announced as of Oct. 16; we will add one here if a congregation or group posts it.

Holiday markets

Holiday markets from November through December are listed on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

Downtown’s Fountain Square Park and Circus Square Park light up during Light Up BGKY week, Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, 2026, and Fountain Square stays lit through the new year. Santa’s Lookout on Cemetery Road (Ky. 234) runs train and wagon rides through a holiday lights event on December nights.

When does the Reindeer Farm open in Bowling Green?

The Reindeer Farm, 2541 Old Union Church Road, opens Nov. 15, 2026, and runs through Dec. 27: Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Dec. 21-23 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Where can kids see Santa in Bowling Green?

Flea Land, 1100 Three Springs Road, offers free photos with Santa every Sunday from Nov. 29 to Dec. 20. Santa’s Lookout has Santa on weekends and select nights of Christmas week, and Greenwood Mall posts Santa hours on its website.

When is the Bowling Green Christmas parade?

The Jaycees Christmas Parade is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, downtown. Our Christmas parade and tree lighting page has the full Light Up BGKY schedule.