In late November 1996, Morning Call columnist Bill White drove his 11-year-old daughter through a brand-new holiday light display in Allentown's Lehigh Parkway. They were among the first ten cars through on the first night. Afterward he wrote in The Morning Call that it was "the most controversial Christmas display in Lehigh Valley history." He loved it. He also said plainly who was likely to object: people who spent a lot of time walking and biking in the Parkway.
Lights in the Parkway opens its 30th season on Friday, November 27. On six nights this season, the people that 1996 column worried about get the whole route to themselves, and those nights carry nearly all of the City's new programming.
The Drive-Through Hasn't Changed Much Since 1996
The basic setup is still close to what White described. His drive ran along the park road from 15th Street to 24th Street, took about 15 minutes, and cost $7 with the $1-off coupon from the program. Drivers were told to use parking lights only. By 2016, the 20th season, admission was $12 per car, according to lehighvalleylive.
The City of Allentown's 2026 FAQ sets this season's price at $16 for cars and family-style vans carrying up to 8 people, and $26 for commercial vans, minibuses and limos carrying 9 to 24. Online processing fees are extra. The drive now takes about 20 to 25 minutes at 5 miles per hour. You still turn off your headlights and drive on parking lights. According to the City, the display covers more than a mile of the Parkway, with close to 400 LED displays and nearly 200 trees wrapped in LED and RGB lights.
The 2026 rules for drive-through nights are tighter than many people remember:
- Reserve ahead. Tickets are reservation only, through allentownpa.gov/LITP. The gate doesn't sell tickets and takes no cash or card on site.
- Weekend tickets come with a time block. A Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday reservation is good any time during open hours that night. Friday, Saturday and Sunday tickets are for either 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. or 7:30 to 10 p.m.
- Each ticket covers one trip through. A second loop takes a second ticket.
- Changing your date works through gift card credit. Sales are final, but before your original date you can cancel the booking for credit and pick a new night.
- Stay in the car. Nothing is sold on site, so the City suggests bringing your own snacks and nonalcoholic drinks. The holiday playlist plays on 98.3 FM.
The display runs 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly through Wednesday, January 6, 2027. It's closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Mondays Are a Separate Event
Monday nights are run differently. On "Mondays at Lights," which the City's parking map calls Move It Mondays, cars stay out entirely. You can walk, run or bike the route from 5:30 to 10 p.m., free, with no reservation.
Drive-through nights | Mondays at Lights | |
|---|---|---|
Cost | $16 per car, $26 for 9 to 24 passengers, plus fees | Free |
Reservation | Required, by date | None |
How you see it | From your car at 5 mph | On foot, running or biking |
Food and drink | Bring your own | Food and drink vendors on site |
Pets | Allowed, but must stay in the vehicle | Allowed on a leash |
New for 2026 | Skyscraper, community, gnome and patriotic displays | Same displays, plus a photo-op area and themed programming |
Each new 2026 display is visible from the road, apart from the photo-op area. The City describes it as a feature of the Monday walking nights. The patriotic section, built for the close of the nation's 250th anniversary, has a large American eagle surrounded by red, white and blue lights. The new community display was made possible through community donations and a partnership with the Parknership.
Walking nights have been growing for at least a year. For the 2025 season, The Morning Call reported that Move It Mondays expanded to include an extra walking night on Tuesday, January 6. The 2026 calendar has six Mondays, and the City gave each one its own theme and partners.
Six Mondays, Each With Its Own Partners
The City's Lights in the Parkway page lists these themes, and Santa's Mailbox is on site for letters every Monday.
- November 30: 30th Anniversary Celebration, with live entertainment by A True Love Story.
- December 7: Hanukkah Celebration, with the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley.
- December 14: Polar Express Experience and a Movie in the Park, showing "The Polar Express."
- December 21: Christmas Celebration with Santa and his Reindeer. A Letters to Santa Station is run with Bill Rhodes of the Board of Recreation, and A True Love Story performs live.
- December 28: Kwanzaa Celebration, with Resurrected Life Community Church.
- January 4: Three Kings Day, with a live nativity scene and a live parranda. Partners are La Mega, ICDI, United Way and PRCP, and A True Love Story performs live.
The anniversary night lands on a Monday. That puts the 30th birthday of a display built for cars on a night when the route belongs to people on foot and on bikes.
Getting There Without a Car in the Park
On Mondays, cars aren't allowed on the grounds. The City says walkers can park on Lehigh Parkway South and on Grammes Road, and its walking-days map shows a main entrance, an alternate pedestrian entrance and the pedestrian route. Walkers stay on the paths. The fields are closed every night. Dogs are welcome on a leash, and the City asks owners to clean up after them.
On drive-through nights, you enter from Martin Luther King Jr. Drive onto Lehigh Parkway East and follow the traffic setup to the check-in booth. If you live along the route, the City's suggested routes map shows a resident-only access route separate from the Lights route. Vehicles over 14 feet tall won't clear the display arches.
The First Feet on the Route Come Two Days Before Opening
The first people on the course this season will be on foot. Run Lehigh Valley holds the Lights in the Parkway 5K on Wednesday, November 25, at 7 p.m., two days before the drive-through opens. Registration on RunSignup was $50, and the race is sold out. The course starts near the barn at 1680 Park Drive and heads toward the police academy. Runners follow the towpath beside the creek to Robinhood Bridge, rejoin the road through the lights, and come back down an access road to the start.
Paid nights start Friday, November 27. The first free walking night is the following Monday, November 30, which is also the anniversary celebration.
No Gift Barn, So the Shopping Moves Downtown
The FAQ says there's no gift barn this year and asks visitors to shop at Allentown's own retailers, businesses and restaurants instead. Two downtown events fall on either side of the season's opening.
The first comes this Saturday, November 14. The Downtown Allentown Marketplace is billed as a first-ever event on Hamilton Street, running 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DLP Plaza / The Hamilton at Grand Plaza, 835 W. Hamilton St. The Downtown Allentown Alliance and the Allentown Chamber of Commerce present it. Admission is free, families and pets are welcome, and there will be global food, makers, artists, music and local businesses.
The second is Saturday, December 5, between the first two walking Mondays. The Allentown Holiday Tree Lighting runs 4 to 6 p.m. at Arts Park on North 5th Street, hosted by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce and the City of Allentown. It's free, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, live entertainment, fire pits with s'mores, seasonal treats and a Holiday Marketplace of local artisans and small businesses.
Ticket money from the Parkway also stays local. Proceeds go directly to the local nonprofits that volunteer during the season. When you buy a ticket, you can see which group is sponsoring that night and add a donation to it. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital, WFMZ and the Da Vinci Science Center are the season's presenting sponsors.
If you live near the Lehigh Parkway and are curious about what your home is worth this season, Daniell Witt Team can help. We know these Allentown streets well, and we'd be glad to put together a clear, no-pressure number for you. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
