Christmas Lights in Ellicott City, MD

Popular picks this season include Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park (Nov 27 – Jan 1), Frosted at Franklin Park (Nov 13 – Jan 9), Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Temple (Dec 2 – Jan 1) and Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens (Nov 20 – Jan 3). In all, 25 displays are mapped in and around Ellicott City, from decorated houses and neighborhoods to ticketed light shows.

Free options include Frosted at Franklin Park, Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Temple, Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens and Maryland Holiday Light Spectacular. 20 of the 25 displays near Ellicott City are free to visit; most home and neighborhood displays cost nothing to drive by.

Yes. Festival of Lights at Watkins Regional Park ($20 per car), Winter Lights Festival ($15 per car Mon-Thu, $25 Fri-Sun) and Merriweather Symphony of Lights ($25 per vehicle; walk-through nights priced separately). Drive-thru shows usually charge per car, and buying tickets online ahead of time is often faster.

Yes. Festival of Lights at the Washington DC Temple, Galena Road Display (tune to 101.5 FM) and Lights on Coco (tune to 98.3 FM). Synced displays broadcast their soundtrack on a low-power FM station so you can listen from your car.

The earliest Ellicott City-area displays turn on Nov 13, and most are running by the weekend after Thanksgiving. Many stay lit through New Year's; check each display's page for its exact dates and nightly hours.