Iowa Holiday Lights by the Megawatt

If residential light displays don’t satisfy your desire for Christmas color, it’s time to turn up the wattage!

Since 1995, the most famous central Iowa light show has to be Jolly Holiday Lights at Water Works Park in Des Moines. Popular with the kids, this seasonal sight packs the power of some 75 moving-light displays featuring whimsical holiday characters and scenes. The tour is open nightly from 5:30 - 10 p.m. through Jan. 1. Admission is $9 per car or $45 per bus with proceeds going to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Photo from Flickr

Cutty’s Camping Club at 10500 N.W. 54th Ave. in Grimes is also back with a new and improved light tour. Now bigger and better than ever, the Cutty’s display features with five lighted themes:

• 12 Days of Christmas
• Santa’s Workshop
• Wilderness
• Toys of The Century
• Joy to the World

Hours are dusk - 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and dusk - 10 p.m. Saturday to Friday through Jan. 6. Admission is $13 per car OR $10 per car when you bring three canned food items for Food Bank of Iowa. Special pricing is available for buses.

If you enjoy the sounds of the season as well as the sparkle, consider a visit to Marshalltown. There you’ll find the musical mastery of Eric Rodemeyer, one of the pioneers who brought choreographed carols to holiday light shows in Iowa. This year, as a part of Optimist Holiday Lights, Rodemeyer will have Main Street dancing to tinsel-laden tunes from 5:30 - 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5:30 - 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday through Dec. 31. Enjoy a sneak peek, or head to Marshalltown for this free event.

Guest Writer: Brenda Friedrich is an Iowa-based writer and business communications consultant. You can also find her blogging at Enroute365.

[tags] Iowa, Des Moines, Des Moines News[/tags]