For many families, taking a drive to see holiday light displays is an annual tradition, as much a part of Christmas as picking out the tree or writing a list to Santa Claus. From high-tech light shows to more traditional holiday decor, there is nothing better than the twinkling of lights to get you in the mood for the season. Put these 12 wow-worthy Cobb Christmas displays on your itinerary to make this year the sweetest yet!
PROFESSIONAL LIGHT DISPLAYS
Holiday in the Park – More than one million LED lights and dozens of Christmas trees will create the perfect magical atmosphere this holiday season at Six Flags Over Georgia. From November 23, 2024, through January 5, 2025, on select days, enjoy popular rides, sparkling lights, festive shows, tasty culinary treats, and of course, the Big Man: Santa Claus in all his glory! A trip to Holiday in the Park is not complete without a visit to the historic Riverview Carousel and Six Flags Railroad which will be beautifully decorated in a new way for the holiday season. Learn more
275 Riverside Parkway SW, Austell, GA
Lights of Life – The 1.5-mile drive around the Life University campus in Marietta features more than one million lights during Lights of Life. The display opens on Thanksgiving Day and remains open through New Year’s Eve. Admission is $10 per car and $20 per bus, so bring in your family and friends for a ride through the lights once the sun goes down. You can also look forward to pony rides, train rides, a petting zoo, and cold-weather concessions until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Learn more
1269 Barclay Circle, Marietta, GA
Cosmic Sleighride – The world’s largest holiday drive-through animated light show is returning to Marietta! Climb aboard your cosmic sleigh with your host Shiny the Star on a mystical holiday adventure that is out of this world at Cosmic Sleighride produced by World of Illumination. In this mile-long adventure, you will shoot past the sun, race among the stars, orbit around a team of Astro-elves in the stratosphere of Santa City, and pass through Kris Kringle’s celestial portal where toys prepare for launch! With more than one million animated lights and synchronized musical experiences, this journey is open seven days a week, rain or shine at Six Flags White Water in Marietta, Georgia from November 15, 2024, through December 29, 2024. Hold onto your seat, you’re in for one stellar ride! Learn more
250 Cobb Pkwy N #100, Marietta, GA
RESIDENTIAL LIGHT DISPLAYS
Due West UMC Light the Night– Due West United Methodist Church, the beneficiary of the Calumet West Christmas House light tradition, provides a self-guided walking tour open to the community from December 3, 2024, through January 8, 2025. Covered with more than 50,000 lights, ornaments, and characters, the display features West Cobb’s tallest Christmas tree, a gingerbread house, the biggest chicken west of The Big Chicken, and a real sand beach complete with a 13-foot working lighthouse! A $10 donation is asked at the entrance or online to be shared between Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Due West UMC missions. Please use the Due West Road entrance located between Due West UMC and Due West Elementary School.
3956 Due West Road, Marietta, GA 30064
Fox Family Christmas Lights– Fox Family Christmas Lights has more than 100,000 lights synchronized to music for visitors to enjoy from November 28, 2024, through January 7, 2025. Tune in to 88.3FM to listen and watch the lights. The interactive display has many handmade animated features, two snow machines, a memorial tree, and an ornament and letters to Santa craft station. Santa and Frozen characters visit on select evenings for photo ops and treats. Check their Facebook page, @Foxfamilylights, for updates. Donations are accepted for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church.
2994 Clary Hill Court, Roswell, GA 30075
Holiday Magic – Woodruff Family Christmas Lights – Head to Powder Springs to experience this free nightly holiday light show featuring dancing Christmas lights, inflatables, a Prince tribute, and special effects including fire and snow, all synchronized to holiday music. This year’s display features new songs, the return of Holiday Magic water fountains, a second pixel tree, two LED matrices, new props, a flying Santa, ad more than 50 thousand new lights, totaling more than 100 this year, open from 6 p.m. to midnight each night. Turn your radio to 102.1 FM so you can enjoy the soundtrack from Thanksgiving night until January 10, 2025.
5268 Seamus Way, Powder Springs, GA
Hrockin Hranicky Christmas Light Show – Becky and Chip Hranicky along with their son and 4 dogs design a magical Christmas lights show each year at their home. Shows begin the Saturday after Thanksgiving and run through January 1. The display features precision synchronization, a dizzying array of moving lights, and dramatic music. Tune into the show on 107.7 FM from 6 to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 6 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Be sure to stop by the red ‘Snoopy’ dog house to contribute to the Angels Among Us Pet Rescue donation.
3848 Rivers Run Trace NW, Acworth, GA
Lights of Joy –Burst with joy when you visit the largest residential Christmas light display in Georgia, Lights of Joy! This 2019 contestant in ABC’s Great Light Fight features more than one million lights including 246 live trees dripping with lights, and numerous electronic trees! Many sections of the display, including the house and 40 trees, are synchronized to music and visitors will be as joyful as ever under the “Tunnel of Joy.” Visitors are encouraged to park across the street at the Futures Church and walk to see the lights starting December 1, 2024, through December 29, 2024.
1510 Ben King Road NW, Kennesaw, GA
Maple Avenue – Looking for a unique light display? You will find it on Maple Avenue and the surrounding area near Marietta Square where spheres of lighted Christmas balls are artistically and strategically placed high above the streets. Every year, the number of participants grows, with more than 70 families hanging these special lights in the trees surrounding their homes. Expect to see these beginning the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Maple Avenue, Marietta, GA
Riley’s Rockin’ Christmas – Riley’s Rockin’ Christmas is a residential light display operating on a varied schedule from December 1st through December 31st. Experience more than 60,000 LED lights synchronized to more than 50 minutes of holiday music including songs from Frozen, Polar Express, and many other holiday movie favorites. Listen to the music from the warmth of your car by tuning in to 101.3 FM on your radio. Donations are collected for the Children’s Burn Foundation. Please note that this year, not every night is an animated show night. Click here to see the show schedule.
2008 Palladium Drive NW, Kennesaw, GA
Smoot Family Christmas Light Show – Jeremy Smoot and his wife Rosalind put up more than 70,000 commercial LED Christmas lights each year in memory of his mother, Debbie, who loved Christmas. The impressive light display is free to the public, though donations are appreciated, and begins Thanksgiving night through January 1, 2025. All donations collected by the Smoot family are given to The Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter, to help fight the disease that took Debbie’s life.
3699 Autumn View Drive, Acworth, GA
Smyrna Bright Nights – The city of Smyrna goes all-out for the holidays. Check out their light display surrounding the Village Green. Then, keep the spirit going by visiting homes that local residents have submitted to the Smyrna Bright Nights interactive map. The map goes live on December 2 and includes all levels of displays, from Charlie Brown to Clark Griswold, and will be updated through December 31.
Smyrna, GA
Check out the gallery below to see sweet pics from Christmas past. Don’t forget to share photos of your yuletide celebrations with us by using #AtlantasSweetSpot and #HolidaysInCobb on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Your photo could be featured on our social media pages! To see more holiday happenings in Cobb, click here.
