Drive Through the Shipshewana Lights of Joy This Holiday Season

Disclosure: I was provided free entrance to the Shipshewana Lights of Joy complimentary to help facilitate this post.



One of my favorite holiday pastimes has always been loading the family up in the car and driving around looking at the holiday lights. We have one area neighborhood that was always the hot spot to drive through during the holidays because it seemed like many of the residents went over the top on their displays. Sadly, the number of homes participating in the annual holiday displays there seems to have drastically dropped over the years, so unless we hear about a spectacular display or extra festive neighborhood, we've put the holiday light sightseeing on hold for the time being. However, it just so happens that I recently heard about the Shipshewana Lights of Joy Drive-Thru Experience and had the opportunity to indulge in one of my favorite holiday activities once again.

I'm about an hour away from Shipshewana, Indiana so I went back and forth on if I wanted to make the drive out to cover this event during this busy time of the year, but in the end my husband thought the kids in my family would be highly entertained by the displays, so off we went. Once we arrived in town, we were hit with many buildings dressed up in holiday lights and decor, and once we drove down the road a tad more, I felt like Garfield's John Arbuckle watching the family Christmas tree light up. It was a total "Ooooohhhhhhhh" moment coming up to the Lights of Joy.

Shipshewana's Lights of Joy is home to more than 2 million LED Christmas lights displayed in a mile long stretch, winding you through a joyous light experience that will have you "ooohhhing and aaahhhing the whole way through.

When you first pull up to the entrance gate, the attendant tells you to tune your radio to a local station that has holiday hits playing non-stop to make the experience more enjoyable. Because honestly, what fun is it to admire all of that twinkling goodness without bumping Christmas tunes along the way?

We went on a Friday evening and it wasn't crowded at all. There were only a handful of other cars out enjoying the displays, so we didn't feel rushed. I don't know if it is frowned upon, but I did get out of my car to admire a few of the displays up close for photos. The trails are one way and wide enough to fit two cars, so had anyone needed to pass us, it wouldn't have been an issue. While I loved the drive-thru aspect of this event, especially living in frigid Indiana where you may want to stay in your car, I think this could also be cool as a walk through, just to savor it a little longer. Maybe they'll offer that in the future?

 Here's a little sampling of what you can expect of the views as you drive along the Lights of Joy.

We were able to complete the Lights of Joy in about 20 minutes, so if you are coming from out of town, I would highly recommend arriving earlier in the day. Shipshewana is such a charming city, celebrated for its Amish heritage. It's the 3rd largest Amish community in the United States, and you can find many of their beautiful hand-crafted wares in the locally owned businesses around town. It's also home to the Midwest's largest flea market where you can find some pretty fun and unique things to take back home with you. My husband is all about the family-owned businesses and suggests you check out Yoder's Meat & Cheese Co., Inc. Do keep in mind that most businesses are closed there on Sunday, but you can still walk around town enjoying the captivating Christmas displays.

The Shipshewana Lights of Joy is open to the public Thursday through Sunday, 6pm-9pm. Admission is $15 per vehicle Sun & Thurs and $20 per vehicle Friday and Saturday. You can visit the event now through December 30, 2018.

Do you also enjoy driving around looking at holiday lights at Christmas?