A look at light shows across southern New Hampshire
By Katelyn Sahagian
There’s something magical about the twinkling of holiday lights that puts people in a festive spirit. While many lights are in residential neighborhoods, some places, like LaBelle Winery, are doing more for the season.
LaBelle has upped its lightshow this year, said Michelle Thornton, the media director at LaBelle. LaBelle Lights, which is in its second year, has grown to three times the original size, and has many brand-new displays.
“This year has really exploded,” said Thornton. “There’s half a million lights and a hundred displays. It’s really magical.”
Some things have stayed the same from last year, like the exit ornament and tunnel of lights, but overall, the show has grown in every way.
The biggest difference is that the LaBelle staff designed and built the light show themselves this year, which led the team to be more adventurous, said Thornton. New additions to the light show include Santa’s sleigh lit up for the holidays, oversized iron sculpted flowers in a larger-than-life garden, and a chandelier bridge.
“When we planned, we had children in mind,” Thornton said. “We asked, ‘What would you like to see as a child?’ but we still wanted to create some awe for adults, too.”
Another change that LaBelle has implemented are “selfie stations” Thornton said. The map of LaBelle Lights will show an icon of a phone, marking it as a prime spot to take a good pic. Thornton said that the response has been overwhelming, seeing LaBelle get tagged in dozens of social media posts each week.
One surprise from these selfie stations is seeing how many people are getting engaged at the exit ornament this year. Thornton said that she’ll open the winery’s social media accounts and be thrilled to see someone else’s engagement photos.
“The way [the exit ornament]’s lit, I think of Cinderella’s pumpkin,” said Thornton. “It is lit so beautifully, it’s like it’s become the unofficial proposal spot of New Hampshire’s winter.”
While LaBelle is a beautiful light show, sometimes it can be too cold to walk around outside. That’s why parks and recreation departments in towns across New Hampshire have teamed up to create a warmer environment for light shows.
The Tour of Lights is a list of houses with holiday displays from Salem to Amherst. The show was started by Merrimack’s park and recreation department and has more contributing homes this year than ever before, said Matthew Casparius, one of the organizers in the department.
“It’s crazy,” Casparius said. “Facebook has been blowing up as people like, share and comment. By Saturday I had a dozen people who had directly contacted me to ask how to get on the list.”
While there’s no guarantee that houses will keep lights up past Christmas, Casparius said that there’s a good chance that they will stay up until the new year.
Casparius said the department used Mapquest to navigate a way through the towns to hit up as many lights as possible.
“It’s a nice collection, and a free option to get people out there to check out the lights,” Casparius said.
Lights galore
Here’s a list of light shows open through the holidays across southern New Hampshire. Email [email protected] if there are any holiday light shows missing.
Daly Family Festival of Lights
Where: 51 Pond Lane, Fremont
When: Daily, 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Visit: facebook.com/Dalyfamilyfestivaloflights
Encore of Lights
Where: Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St., Candia
When: Dec. 28 through Dec. 31, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Price: Sleigh rides start at $199
Visit: visitthefarm.com
Gift of Lights
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 1122 Route 106 North, Loudon
When: Thursday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Dec. 26, 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 27, through Thursday, Dec. 29, and Sunday, Jan. 1, 4:30 to 9 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 31, 4:30 to 10 p.m.
Price: $35 per car; $60 per bus, limousine or RV
Visit: nhms.com
Hudson Christmas
Where: 75 Pelham Road, Hudson
When: Daily, 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Visit: facebook.com/hudsonnhchristmas
LaBelle Lights
Where: LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry
When: Wednesday through Sunday, until Jan. 15, 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Price: $16 for teens and adults, $10 for seniors older than 65, $8 for children ages 4 to 12, free for children younger than 4.
Visit: labellewinery.com
New England Animated Lights
For a complete list of houses with animated light shows in New Hampshire and beyond, visit https://tinyurl.com/yhx933mj
Southern New Hampshire Tour of Lights
Visit merrimackparksandrec.org for the complete list of locations.
Featured photo: LaBelle Lights. Courtesy photo.