Popular Eastern Iowa Drive-Thru Holiday Light Display Open Through December 31

The holiday season is all about traditions and a new one started in eastern Iowa a couple of years ago. You can experience it right through New Year's Eve, on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Christmas night.

When the pandemic came in 2020, very few good things came along with it, but this is one of them. It's Jingle Bright Holiday Lights. It started two winters ago and is now in its third year at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Manchester.

Jingle Bright Holiday Lights has more than 100 different light displays you can enjoy, on a drive-thru basis. There's also a walk-thru area this year, where the lights are set to Christmas music. Santa Claus will greet the kids in the walk-thru area tonight (Friday, December 16 from 5:30 to 7:30), with the Grinch there Saturday night (December 17 from 5:30 to 7:30), and Animals of the Stable on Friday, December 23.

There's one more very cool thing about Jingle Bright Holiday Lights. Each year they have a Tear Drop tree that allows families to honor loved ones they've lost. The tree, at the south end of the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Manchester, is lit each night. It also has a bench under it for anyone who wants to take a moment to sit and reflect. The image below shows who is being honored/remembered this year.

A free-will cash donation is accepted for Jingle Bright Holiday Lights, which is open each Friday and Saturday night (through December 31) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will also be open on Christmas night, Sunday, December 25.

When visiting the display, you'll want to enter through Grand Avenue. The video below looks back at displays from the first year of the event, in 2020.

Happy holidays!