Light Up Middletown is LIT!!!!
This is an annual tradition for me and I honestly cannot recall the last time I didn't make the trip. It's always fun whether you're with friends or family, Light Up Middletown is one of the best drive-thru outdoor Holiday Light Displays in the greater Cincinnati area, in my opinion.
I've been going so long that I recall the lights being standard lights before they switched to all LED lighting. Wow, the LED lighting really made a difference. The displays were great before, but the LED's add a Pop Factor that really shines.
Every year you can expect to see the same displays as you did the year before. With each year, Middletown adds new displays and sometimes changes the locations of others. But it is always truly a great holiday treat.
The traffic can be a bit much so I should probably point that out. You'll probably be spending 2 to 5 times the amount of time waiting to get into the park as compared to the amount of time you spend in the park. It really depends on the day and time that you go and also when you go in relation to how close to Christmas it is. I typically try to go earlier in the holiday season and almost always earlier on a Sunday night, just after it gets dark. Which, in Cincinnati, is pretty dark by 6:00pm this time of year.
This extraordinary exhibit is free however they do take donations at the check point as you enter the park. Consider giving a few dollars, maybe $5, per person when you go. Even though the event is sponsored by local businesses, it's probably the least expensive, yet most fun, holiday experiences that you'll have.
Watch for the sign as you come in so you can tune your FM radio to the station that the park sends a signal out for. There are a few places within the loop that the music and lights are synced together. Plus, it's Christmas music. Why wouldn't you want to listen?!?!?
At the end of the loop you'll get to the 12 Days of Christmas final stretch. As you're driving through at a parade's pace, try to do the whole song, repeating and all, as you drive through. The fun with this is trying to sing as fast as you can to get through it all and also trying to remember all of them. After 5 Golden Rings, things sometimes can get a bit fuzzy.
Once you've gone through, you can either exit to the right or drive forward and go through again. I've done this a few times where it felt like one pass wasn't quite enough.
Turn Off Your Lights!!!! Once you turn in from the road, kill your headlights. At the very least, kill them once you hit the checkpoint shack. Don't worry, you'll be guided by the brake lights in front of you.
Would I go back? Every year possible, absolutely. This is a fun event for all and you may find yourself making it an annual tradition as well. read more