Light Up Louisville takes dozens of city employees to put on, and the setup work happens the day before the event. For years the event fell on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which meant those crews spent Thanksgiving Day building it. Mayor Craig Greenberg's office then moved the event one week later, to Saturday, Dec. 2. Press secretary Kevin Trager told WHAS11 that the event is "a huge team effort, with dozens of employees from Public Works, Facilities, LMPD, and the Mayor's Office working together, including setting up the event the day before it happens," and that the new date "allows our employees to enjoy Thanksgiving Day with their families."
The change was made for the people who build the event, and it also changed the order of the season for everyone else. Louisville's free downtown kickoff now comes after the other holiday traditions have already opened, three weeks after the first one. If your family's habit still starts with the tree, most of the season will be underway by the time it's lit this year.
The New Date Has Held
Some date changes get reversed after a single year. This one hasn't. The three most recent editions, this year's included, have all been on the first Saturday of December:
- 2024: Saturday, Dec. 7, 3 to 9 p.m., according to WAVE
- 2025: Saturday, Dec. 6, 3 to 9 p.m., at Jefferson Square Park, per WLKY
- 2026: Saturday, Dec. 5, 3 to 9 p.m., at Jefferson Square Park, according to Louisville Metro's event page
Producer Wayne Hettinger also told WHAS11 that the extra week gave his team, North Pole Operations, "a chance to prepare for even larger crowds and extended visual effects." The 2024 edition followed through on that. WAVE reported plans for more than 200 drones along with video mapping on Metro Hall.
With the tree now in December, the late-November weeks are filled by the attractions below, and the first one opens tomorrow.
The First Lights Come On Underground, Friday, Nov. 13
The first holiday lights to switch on in Louisville this year come on 22 days ahead of the city's tree, and they're inside a cavern. Lights Under Louisville at the Louisville Mega Cavern, 1841 Taylor Ave., opens Friday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 10 p.m. It runs through Jan. 2, 2027. The Mega Cavern and 5/3rd Bank present it as a drive-through show with more than 7 million points of light, themed displays, characters, holiday music and lasers.
Before you load the car, two details matter:
- Tickets are sold in advance only. The official site says tickets will not be sold at the gate. A standard vehicle pass starts at $42.99, and a Priority Pass starts at $89.99 and has to be bought before 2 p.m. on the day you arrive.
- It's open on the holidays. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day hours are both 5:30 to 10 p.m.
The Thanksgiving hours are what link it to the rest of the season. Light Up Louisville moved so city crews could have Thanksgiving off, and the Mega Cavern keeps its tour open that evening.
Thanksgiving Day Starts With a Run
On Thanksgiving morning the activity is in the east end. The Northeast Family YMCA Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, presented by Publix Charities, runs Thursday, Nov. 26, from 9 a.m. to noon at 9400 Mill Brook Road. The YMCA lists this year's race as the 56th annual.
That gives Thanksgiving Day two confirmed events, a 9 a.m. race at the Northeast Family YMCA and a 5:30 p.m. opening at the Mega Cavern. You can do both and still be home for dinner, or go to the cavern after dinner.
The Friday That Belonged to the Tree Now Belongs to the Frazier
The Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27 this year, is the day Light Up Louisville used to hold. By then, the Frazier History Museum on Main Street will have had its holiday exhibit open for six days.
The seventh annual Lights on Main runs every day from Saturday, Nov. 21, through Jan. 3, 2027. The Frazier presents it with the nonprofit I Would Rather Be Reading. For the exhibit, the museum turns three floors into a holiday forest of trees decorated by local schools, organizations, families and individuals. Museum admission or a Frazier membership covers it, so no separate ticket is needed.
The Frazier lists 100 decorated trees in its galleries this year. Because so many are decorated by local schools, families and organizations, a walk through the galleries can turn up a tree from a school or group you know.
The next morning, Saturday, Nov. 28, Actors Theatre of Louisville opens A Christmas Carol in the Pamela Brown Auditorium. It runs through Dec. 20. Lavina Jadhwani adapted this production, and Amelia Acosta Powell and Emily Tarquin co-direct it. Tickets start at $30, with discounts for children 12 and under. Louisville Tourism's announcement notes that performances sold out last season. If seeing the show on the holiday weekend is part of your family's plan, the Actors Theatre site is where to buy tickets, and buying early is the safer bet.
So the long weekend has a museum exhibit, an opening night at a theater and a light show that's open daily. All three are ticketed or come with admission. The free outdoor event is still a week away.
Two Downtown Nights, Two Days Apart
The first week of December has two downtown events close together. The Frazier exhibit opens to visitors Nov. 21, and its opening night party comes nearly two weeks later, on Thursday, Dec. 3. That evening the museum stays open until 8:30 p.m., and admission drops to $12 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Angel's Envy, Kentucky Artisan Distillery and Noble Funk are pouring complimentary tastings, Angel's Envy is engraving bottles, and choirs curated by the Louisville Academy of Music are performing.
Two days later comes Light Up Louisville, Powered by LG&E, on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 3 to 9 p.m. at Jefferson Square Park. Admission is free. According to the city's event page, the evening includes:
- A holiday video-mapping show projected on Metro Hall
- Local holiday shopping at the Mistletoe Market
- Food at Frosty's Food Court
- Live entertainment on two stages
- The Lots of Lights Parade, starting at 6 p.m.
- Free photos inside Santa's House and free trackless train rides on the Jolly Jingle Express
- A finale show to close the night
The city's page also describes an outdoor pop-up market of shopping and food vendors on the Plaza on Fourth, between Jefferson and Market Streets, held alongside the main event.
In 2025, WLKY reported the parade at 6 p.m., the video-mapping show at 7:50 p.m., Santa's arrival at 8 p.m. and the tree lighting at 8:15 p.m. This year's city page also lists a 6 p.m. parade. If the rest follows the same order, the tree comes on near the end of the night, after nearly everything else on the program.
Six Dates, One Free Night at the End
Here are the confirmed 2026 dates in order:
| Date | What opens | Where | Cost to get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Lights Under Louisville | Louisville Mega Cavern, 1841 Taylor Ave. | Advance vehicle pass, from $42.99 |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Lights on Main | Frazier History Museum | Included with museum admission |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | 56th annual Turkey Trot | Northeast Family YMCA, 9400 Mill Brook Road | Registration through the YMCA |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | A Christmas Carol | Actors Theatre, Pamela Brown Auditorium | From $30 |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Lights on Main opening night party | Frazier History Museum | $12 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Light Up Louisville | Jefferson Square Park | Free |
The ticketed traditions take the three weeks around Thanksgiving, and the free citywide event comes last, a date the city set so its own crews could have Thanksgiving at home.
If you're planning how your home will look for the holidays before deciding whether to list it in the spring, Paul Kiger Group can show you how the season changes what buyers see when they visit. Get your free home valuation, and we'll talk through your timing over the next few weeks while the lights are going up across the city.
