As the holiday season approaches, Winston-Salem transforms into a city of lights, aglow with dazzling displays and festive cheer. While the Tanglewood Festival of Lights is a must-see, countless neighborhoods and homes also go all out for the season. The following highlights more than two dozen top holiday displays—ranging from high-tech spectacles to nostalgic favorites—all within 20 miles of downtown and free to enjoy.

Jump to map of Christmas Lights  

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Window Wonderland in Downtown 
Our tour begins in the city center, where dozens of storefronts sparkle with creativity. It’s all part of Window Wonderland, an annual event from the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership. Last year, more than three dozen businesses—from bars to boutiques—participated, competing for prizes including a $1,000 cash award and “People’s Choice” honors. Displays are unveiled in early December, with all windows completed by Dec. 6 for judging.

• Where: Throughout downtown, especially along Fourth Street and the Arts District (Sixth, Trade). Explore with this 2-mile route starting and ending near Foothills Brewing.
• Bonus: Don’t miss the city’s Christmas tree at Corpening Plaza.

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The Christmas Family Lights
Near Horizons Park in northern Forsyth County, this award-winning display on Shiloh Church Road features 50,000 lights synced to music on 89.7 FM. Spanning multiple homes, the “Christmas Family Lights” include Peanuts and Rudolph characters, Moravian stars, a life-sized Nativity, and a 24-foot dancing tree—earning a first-place “Classiest Lights” title on TackyLightTour.com.

• Where: 3420 Shiloh Church Road, Winston-Salem, NC (See map)
• Good to know: Typically open from Thanksgiving through early January.

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Horizons Holiday Lane
What started as a way for residents of Horizons Residential Care Center to enjoy Christmas lights has become a community favorite. The display covers several acres with archways, inflatables, and 20,000 lights. The lights come to life with a free, family-friendly celebration on Dec. 12 from 6–8 p.m. featuring carolers, bell ringers, hot cocoa, s’mores by the fire, and photos with Santa. The drive-through display continues nightly through the holiday season.

• Where: 101 Horizons Lane, Rural Hall, NC (See map)
• Good to know: This display is just minutes from the Christmas Family Lights display (noted above).

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The Spectacle on Churchland Drive
Dubbed Winston-Salem’s own Clark Griswold, Brian Reeves transforms his home on Churchland Drive into a twinkling, music-synced wonderland that stops traffic each December. The hour-long show, set to 88.1 FM, attracts dozens of cars nightly. “

• Where: 118 Churchland Drive, Winston-Salem (See map)
• Bonus: Keep an eye out for nods to classic holiday flicks, including the “A Christmas Story” leg lamp and bunny suit cameo.

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‘Mini Tanglewood’ off Jonestown Road
Tucked down a quarter-mile driveway of Jonestown Road, this multi-home display delights with light tunnels, a colorful Nativity, jumbo-sized displays, and several lighted trees reflecting off a small pond. Locals call it “Mini Tanglewood” for good reason. 

• Where: 1526 Jonestown Road, Winston-Salem (See map)
• Good to know: The display is an out-and-back route with a turnaround at the end.

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Glenn Ferry Road (Pfafftown)
Thousands of synchronized lights and cheerful scenes fill this yard in the Pfafftown area, where Santa regularly stops by to collect letters from the beloved “Magic Mailbox.” Every note received at least a week before Christmas gets a personalized reply—thanks to homeowners Michael and Rhonda Reeves.

• Where: 7606 Glenn Ferry Road, Pfafftown, NC (See map)
• Bonus: Along with Santa, the Grinch also makes regular appearances.

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Ferree Family Christmas Lights (Clemmons)
Winner of Clemmons’ “Light Up the Village” contest, this festive favorite overflows with reindeer, yard ornaments, and even an animatronic Santa emerging from an outhouse. One visitor called it “the highlight of my holidays.”

• Where: 8916 Harpers Grove Lane, Clemmons, NC (See map)
• Good to know: Just a mile from the popular Waterford neighborhood, another holiday light delight.

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Downtown Kernersville
Main Street in Kernersville glows with small-town charm each December, complete with window displays, a grand Christmas tree, and the town’s signature twinkling “Blinkies.” Invented by local Roger Briles, these mesmerizing lights are a cherished tradition that have spread to all parts of Forsyth County, from Kernersville to Winston-Salem and beyond.

• Where: 152 S. Main St., Kernersville, NC (See map)
• Good to know: Nearby, enjoy the Spectacular Holiday Blooms at Ciener Botanical Garden, open weekends Nov. 29–Dec. 29.

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Brady Country Christmas (Pinnacle)
For more than 30 years, the Brady family’s drive-through farm display has delighted generations. Set beneath Pilot Mountain, it features over 700,000 lights, 100 inflatables, and 50 Christmas trees—classic, timeless, and full of heart.

• Where: 1776 Bradley Road, Pinnacle, NC (See map)
• Good to know: Weekend visitors can tour an onsite log cabin filled with trees and nostalgic décor.

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Best Neighborhood Displays (Winston-Salem area)

 

Historic Ardmore
One of Winston-Salem’s oldest and most charming neighborhoods, Ardmore shines with old-fashioned holiday spirit. Lined with century-old bungalows and canopying oaks, its streets twinkle each December with warm, welcoming displays. Start near Baptist Medical Center and follow Hawthorne Road west for a glowing mix of classic décor and synchronized light shows. The standout: 2432 Maplewood Ave, where thousands of lights dance in sync to music. To see several Ardmore highlights, try this route.

Buena Vista
Known for its stately homes and tree-lined streets, Buena Vista delivers holiday elegance with a touch of nostalgia. Nearly every block glows with tasteful displays, from classic white lights to grand nativity scenes. One longtime favorite is found atop a hilly pasture overlooking the 1200 block of Reynolda Road — a poignant Nativity scene on the Crosnore Children's Home campus. Another favorite site is Runnymeade Road, especially on Christmas Eve, when residents line the sidewalks with thousands of luminaries, creating a magical scene.

Sherwood Forest
Drivers tend to look up when driving through Sherwood Forest around the holidays. Here, the lights don’t just line the streets, they fill the treetops. The neighborhood’s mature trees become canvases for Moravian stars, colorful Christmas balls, and “Blinkies” shining gently overhead. Both Old and New Sherwood take part, transforming Peace Haven Road into a corridor of holiday glow. Favorites include Archer Road in Old Sherwood—where dozens of blinking trees form a tunnel of lights; Carversham Court in New Sherwood, with its continous twinkling canopy, and 1112 Claverton Court, a standout display filled with Santas, snowmen, and a penguin piloting an airplane.

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Shallowford Lakes (Lewisville)
Tucked on the western outskirts of Forsyth County, this Lewisville neighborhood combines small-town warmth with big visual impact. Dozens of homes join in, but two in particular steal the show: 200 Flintridge Drive, where an LED light show syncs to holiday tunes on 91.9 FM, and 315 Graydon Court, a dazzling display of animated animals, skating ducks, and colorful characters that's potent nostalgia. 

Waterford (Clemmons)
A perennial favorite on the west side of Forsyth County, the Waterford neighborhood glows with seemingly uniform elegance. It doesn't dazzle so much as delight—think elegant white lights, stately brick homes, and candles glowing in the windows—creating a timeless, effortless holiday scene. While there’s no single showstopper here, the collective charm makes it one of the area’s most charming spectacles during the holidays. (Need a starting point? Use 1600 Slane Road—the neighborhood pools—which puts you in the middle of the scene.)

Hidden Hills (Kernersville)
Hidden Hills lives up to its name—a tucked-away treasure filled with dazzling homes and two of the Triad’s most spectacular synchronized light shows. At 190 Rockford Road, lights dance perfectly in time with music on 91.9 FM. Just down the road, at 1000 Lisa Run Drive, the Ferguson Family Lights take it up a notch. The display adds a whimsical twist each evening, circa 7 p.m., when the playlist briefly switches to Disney hits from Frozen, Moana, and more before returning to classic yuletide tunes.

 

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Tanglewood Festival of Lights

While there are plenty of stunning displays around the area, Tanglewood Park's Festival of Lights remains the crowned jewel. The ticketed attraction is one of the biggest and best-known light shows in the Southeast, having earned the title of "top light display in the Carolinas" from Travel + Leisure for several years running. Now in its 34th year, it features an expanded route, new displays, and new food items in the Gift Village area. Catch it nightly, 6-11 p.m., from Nov. 14 to Jan. 1.

For tips on visiting, check out our Festival of Lights Guide here.

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