Lights, Delights, and Snowy Nights: Christmas Magic Takes Over Ashland
ASHLAND — Didn’t someone once say Ashland was starting to feel like a Hallmark town? This Christmas season, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
From neighborhood streets to downtown storefronts — and even out along the county roads — twinkling lights are popping up just about everywhere you look. Add in this year’s timely snowfall, and suddenly Ashland feels like it’s stepped straight into a holiday movie set, complete with glowing rooftops, sparkling trees, and that unmistakable Christmas magic in the air.
That magic now has a brand-new home at the Ashland County Fairgrounds, where a new holiday tradition is officially underway.
For the first time ever, the fairgrounds have been transformed into the Lights & Delights Fairground Drive-Through Light Display, a festive experience built by the community, for the community. Local businesses, families, nonprofits, and organizations all came together to help illuminate the grounds, creating a drive-through of 78 displays that stretches holiday cheer across one of Ashland’s most familiar landmarks.
The lights are open Thursdays through Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m. throughout December, giving families plenty of chances to take in the glow (the display will be closed on Christmas Day). But Friday night is kinda extra special, it’s the only night this week visitors can enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides through the fairgrounds, offering a cozy, old-fashioned way to soak in the sights. (horse-drawn wagon rides for the rest of December will be based on the weather.)
Driving through the display, it’s hard not to smile. Somewhere between the colorful arches, glowing figures, and soft crunch of snow beneath your tires, you realize something special is happening. From one end of the city to the far corners of the county, Christmas displays are proudly lighting up Ashland — and this year, the fairgrounds have joined that celebration in a big way.
So load up the car, grab some friends or family, turn up the Christmas music, and head out to the fairgrounds. Whether you’re starting a new tradition or simply chasing that holiday spirit, Lights & Delights is one more reason Ashland is shining brighter than ever this season.
And who knows — if this keeps up, that “Hallmark town” label might just stick.
