Virtual Christmas Tree Lightings & Holiday Lights Displays

Technology is redefining the way in which we can celebrate the holidays. If you are looking to get into the holiday spirit, there are ways to do it safely. Most local cities are offering drive-thru holiday light displays & you can also see Christmas Villages & Tree Lightings virtually. We have made a list of some of the most popular Christmas Tree Lightings and Holiday events online.

Christmas Tree Lightings & Holiday Lights Displays

• The 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will be on Wednesday, December 2nd, and will be closed to the public. The tree will be lit during a live national television broadcast on NBC at 9:45 pm. The show starts at 8 pm and is hosted by NBC TODAY Show anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Al Roker. There will be live performances by Kelly Clarkson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jimmy Fallon, Goo Goo Dolls, Grett Eldredge, Leslie Odom Jr., Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, Dan + Shay, Gwen Stefani & Meghan Trainor. The cast of “Ain’t Too Proud” and Radio City Rockettes will perform as well.

  The 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a 75 feet tall Norway Spruce, 45 feet wide, and weighs 11 tons. The tree is decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights strung on approximately 5 miles of wire. It will be topped with a three-dimensional star that weighs approximately 900 pounds and is covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals. If you are in N.Y. you can visit the Plaza from 6 am to midnight daily. There will be special tree viewing entrances and traffic patterns, tree viewing time limits, and masks and social distancing will be required at all times.

• National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington D.C. will not host a live audience at the 2020 National Christmas Tree Lighting on December 3rd. You can watch the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and holiday performances on Dec. 3 on thenationaltree.org. Performances by Colton Dixon, Jerrod Niemann, Jillian Cardarelli, Jillian Edwards, Kellie Pickler, Laine Hardy, Leaving Austin, Lynda Randle & Michael Tait, Matthew West, Passion, NPS Arrowhead Jazz Band, Tuscon Arizona Boys Chorus, the Sea Chanters & the U.S. Marine Band.

  The show will be available to stream on-demand throughout the holiday season. Despite the virtual ceremony, people can visit President’s Park to view the National Christmas Tree through the month of December. Fifty-six trees representing every U.S. state, territory, and D.C., decorated with ornaments designed by students from across the country, will also be on display. The Pathway to Peace site is free to visit and open from December 1, 2020 through January 1, 2021 from 10 am to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. The National Christmas Tree lights are on at sunset each evening.

• The Millennium Park Tree Lighting in Chicago was held on November 19th. This year’s Tree is a 45-foot Blue Spruce donated by the family of Catherine Townsend of Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood (19th ward). Music was featured by the Chicago Children’s Choir, Sones de Mexico Ensemble and Percy Bady & Friends with a tribute to the 50^th anniversary of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” Available through the season at “Millennium Park at Home: Chicago Holidays,” the 30-minute virtual feature, will include greetings from the city’s mayor and first lady and music from various Chicago groups. The Park is open daily, 8am to 9pm, for groups of 10 persons or fewer who practice physical distancing and wear face coverings. 

• Texas Tech’s Carol of Lights Event in Lubbock will be virtual this year on Tuesday, December 1^st and will begin live streaming at 6:30 pm on the Texas Tech University YouTube channel. Much of the ceremony will be a compilation of ceremony’s over the last five years called the “Best of Carol of Lights”, with some 2020 touches added. There will be no in-person events, but people can drive through the campus and take pictures. “The Matador Lights: will be on from December 1^st through January 3^rd, 2021.

• Macy’s Santaland at Home will be the online hub for holiday magic. From Nov 27–Dec 24, families can access Santaland virtually—for free! It’s a great way to give little ones all over the country a taste of NYC’s best holiday traditions. This personalized, interactive journey through the North Pole is a great way for the tots to get to visit Santa and take a selfie with him. The magic of Macy’s Santaland will be transformed into an interactive, virtual experience to safely bring the wonder of this holiday tradition to families nationwide available at macys.com/Santaland.

  Before the digital journey begins, an adult must provide the appropriate permissions to activate the program including approving access to the hardware for the interactive elements and selecting the preferred diversity experience. Up to three children can take part in the customized experience at one time. A special greeting from Santaland elves at the North Pole-bound train station kicks off the interaction. From there, the Elves will lead the way through Santa’s Village and Workshop, stopping to see the sights and play interactive games. At the finale of the journey, kids will meet Santa through a whimsical interactive video where they will be able to share their holiday wish list followed by snapping a selfie with Santa. Families will be able to download their Santa selfie immediately following the picture opportunity. The magic of Macy’s Santaland at Home will safely bring the joy of the season to visitors nationwide from the comfort of home.  

  “The Macy’s Santaland website will also highlight interpretations of familiar holiday favorites from Macy’s Center City in Philadelphia including Dickens’ Village and the Christmas Light Show. Dickens’ Village will take guests through select animated displays telling the story of the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.  A special version of the spectacular Macy’s Christmas Light Show will also shine bright online as it takes viewers on a light-filled festive journey through popular Christmas stories including The Nutcracker and Frosty the Snowman. The annual light display will feature the sounds of the world-famous Wanamaker Organ.”

• Christmas on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah will be celebrated virtually this year. The seasonal lights on Temple Square will be turned on at 5 pm after Thanksgiving. People from around the world can enjoy a kickoff performance in the Tabernacle when the lights are turned on. The broadcast will be live on December 1 at 6pm Mountain standard time on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and on the Temple Square Facebook page. It will also be available for viewing on demand after the live broadcast.
• Window Wonderland of NY City window displays can be relived virtually in the comfort of your own home thanks to Google’s opportunity to view “Window Wonderland”. Experience the magic from 18 different stores across Manhattan with a simple swipe at the command of your fingertips. This virtual tour sets you right in the streets of Manhattan and gives you unmatched views of the windows only possible by being at a face-to-glass distance. The website offers the ability to zoom-in and view minuscule details of the display as if they were walking next to them. Owners of virtual-reality headsets can undergo “a stereoscopic 360-degree panorama and location audio.”

  Make sure & check your local listings for what is available in your area. If you are in our area, check out our post on South Florida Holiday Drive-Thru Events.

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