Here's your guide to holiday lights across Michiana that you can walk, drive or bike

Hey Rudolph, in case your nose dims, here's your best and brightest guide to holiday light displays across Michiana.

Fernwood

Glowing reviews may come to Fernwood Botanical Garden for one addition this season to its artful “Lights at Fernwood” display, now in its third year at 13988 Rangeline Road, Niles. New this year, you can swing on one of six color-changing, glowing orbs as you gaze upon returning light features like the “Arctic Alle,” where shooting stars hang in a stand of hemlock trees, Fernwood Executive Director Carol Line says. These orbs are actually large, thick rings that dangle from a black metal frame. Each has enough room perhaps for a parent and two small children.

Fernwood’s display runs Thursdays through Sundays from Nov. 24 through Jan. 6. That’s a total of 29 nights, up from 21 last year.

Other features that return include the light trees that seem to hover above water, flying birds on a paved path, a lighted tunnel and fire pits.

Seasonal entertainment: Get ready for the holidays by enjoying concerts, hiking, theater, ice-skating, and more

Inside of the Sims Education Center, which again serves hot drinks and crafts, there will be an oversized version of the decades-old kids toy Lite-Brite, where you plug different colored pegs into a light board to create designs.

Also inside, Line says, 60 German Steinbach nutcrackers will be on display out of a collection of 100 that Fernwood recently acquired. And a 13.5-foot poinsettia tree returns, with a metal frame bearing dozens of the flowering plants.

“Lights at Fernwood” has ticketed entry times at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Cost on Thursdays is $10 per adult, $5 for ages 3-12 and free for ages 2 and younger. On Fridays through Sundays, it’s $15 per adult, $8 for ages 3-12 and free for ages 2 and younger. Lights click off at 9 p.m. Parking is limited. Booking ahead is recommended. Visit https://www.fernwoodbotanical.org/lights. For questions, call 269-695-6491.

Wellfield

Wellfield Botanic Gardens, at 1011 N. Main St., Elkhart, yet again bumps up the light count for its "Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights," this time from 1.2 million last year to 1.4 million. As part of that growth, Executive Director Eric Garton says, the Children's Garden will be lighted for the first time, featuring lights on the Tiki Hut and TreeHouse, the Wellhouse and Sustainable Tool Shed, along with “larger than life lit flowers” and “sparkly purple grapes” on the grape arbor.

Favorites such as the Rain Tree, the Rainbow Caterpillar tunnel, the Fields of Blue and the floating trees that reflect on the reservoirs return, all along the half-mile trail that circles Wellfield.

Guests will also see the construction site for Wellfield’s new and expanded visitors center, which will replace the currently small visitors cottage (wellfieldproject.com).

As usual, fire pits, hot and cold beverages for sale, and recorded holiday tunes add to the ambiance. Giving Trees return where, on each night, a portion of ticket sales will support one of 16 charities in Elkhart County. Wellfield will again sell a children’s book about the lights by local author Roger Carlson. He’ll be on site on select nights to sign it.

The display will linger two nights after Christmas this year for a total of 18 nights: Nov. 24-26 and Dec. 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 20-23 and 26-27. You can enter between 5:30 and 8:09 p.m. The lights click off at 9 p.m. Admission costs $15 per adult, $10 for ages 3-12 and free for ages 2 and younger. Save 20% if you order by Nov. 23. Visit wellfieldgardens.org or buy tickets at the gate.

Potawatomi Zoo

South Bend’s Potawatomi Zoo brings back “The Gift of Lights” display from 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 5 to 8 p.m. Sundays from Nov. 24 through Dec. 23.

You can mingle with two of Santa’s reindeer in the Picnic Grove or visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at the River Run Yurt, included in the entry fee. The Holiday Express train runs, as weather permits, for $3 per rider; free if 2 or younger.

South Bend Civic Theatre will do holiday-themed performances on the Dragonfly Deck at 6 and 8 p.m. on Dec. 8 and 9.

The zoo will sell hot drinks, adult drinks, snacks and a full menu, along with seasonal drinks. New this season, food trucks will sell elephant ears, popcorn and coffee.

Admission to “The Gift of Lights” costs $12 for ages 15 to 61, $8 for both ages 3-14 and 62 and older, and free for ages 2 and younger. Tickets can be bought at the gate. For more information, visit www.potawatomizoo.org/lights.

Shipshewana

The drive-through “Lights of Joy” display in Shipshewana grows a bit longer this season, at 1.8 miles, featuring more than 2 million LED lights. It runs daily from Nov. 24 through Dec. 31, with the exception of being closed Dec. 25-26. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

It winds through the grounds of the Shipshewana RV Park. Visitors enter via the grounds of the Shipshewana Flea Market on Indiana 5 (345 S. Van Buren St.) and exit onto County Road 200 North. Cost is $20 per vehicle. Tickets can be bought at the gate or online at ShipshewanaLightsofJoy.com.

Goshen

A light show that you can walk, bike or drive through is going up at Goshen's Shanklin Park, 411 W. Plymouth Ave., from Nov. 23 through Jan. 1, featuring more than 60 silhouette lights and holiday decorations from 5 to 10 p.m. each night.

Osceola

Grace Church at 58343 S. Apple Road in Osceola hosts a free drive-thru light display, “Christmas Delights,” that’s focused on the Nativity from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 1-3, 7-10 and 14-26.

4-H fairgrounds

The St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds at 5117 S. Ironwood Drive, South Bend, hosts a light show, “Dashers Drive Thru,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30. Donations are requested.

Winding Brook

This subdivision in Mishawaka plans to do its drive-thru of displays Dec. 1-2, 8-10 and 15-25. Hours are from 6 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, plus Dec. 24-25, and from 6 to 10 p.m. on all other nights. Enter on Merrifield Drive off Day Road in Mishawaka. This is between Edison Lakes Parkway and Fir Road. It’s free, but donations collected will go to one of eight local charities each night. Donations can be made as you exit, either to volunteers as they pass out candy canes or via a QR code that you scan to reach PayPal.

St. Joseph

The city of St. Joseph turns on its annual light display along the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan from Dec. 3 through Feb. 15. But winter lights went up on downtown streets Nov. 17 and will stay up through Feb. 17, too.

Light parades

∎ Dowagiac hosts its holiday light parade at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 on Front Street, departing Main Street, then heading north and circling the downtown.

∎ Mishawaka will do a light parade during its free Winterfest from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2, all centered around the downtown Ironworks ice path and rink, which will open for the season that day. The parade will start at 5:30 p.m. from the City Hall parking lot.

∎ Elkhart runs its parade down Main Street from Harrison to Lexington at 6 p.m. Dec. 2. Afterward, the city lights its tree at the Central Green Park stage.

∎ South Bend runs its parade from 7 to 7:45 p.m. Dec. 8 down Jefferson Boulevard from Notre Dame Avenue toward the river.

Howard Park skating returns

Howard Park’s ice path and pond in South Bend reopens for the season Nov. 24 with free festivities. It starts with yoga on the ice at 8 a.m. Mayor James Mueller will give a welcome at 9:45 a.m., followed by free doughnuts and hot cocoa, deejay music and the Irish Figure Skating Club at 10 a.m. The First Skate with the River City Rovers is at 10:25 a.m. Reindeer will be at the park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kids get free face painting from noon to 2 p.m. Meet Spark, Santa’s elves and other characters at 1 p.m. Decorate cookies from 2 to 4 p.m. Glow skating is from 7 to 8:20 p.m. And fireworks start at 8 p.m.

Book skating tickets at visithowardpark.com.

The indoor Holiday Market with local vendors runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 24 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25.

#OptOutSide hike

The Hoosier Hikers will host group hikes Nov. 24 on 6K or 11K routes through the University of Notre Dame. Register starting at 8:50 a.m. at the Ivy Court Inn & Suites, 1404 Ivy Court, South Bend. Walk at 9:30 a.m. from Notre Dame’s Walsh Architecture visitors lot. No parking fee because of the holiday.

For questions, contact Bob Buzolich at 574-339-9140 or sonofbuzz@prodigy.net.

Free state parks

There will be free admission on the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 24) at all Indiana State Parks, with prizes to win at on.in.gov/optoutside.

Toboggan run

The refrigerated toboggan run opens for the season Nov. 24 at Pokagon State Park in Angola, Ind. Then it will open every Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 25, plus additional days through Christmas break and on holidays. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Cost is $20 per toboggan per hour. (www.tobogganrun.com)

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Holiday Christmas light displays and parades to walk drive in Michiana