MEDINA, Ohio -- Holiday lighting lovers seeking a safe, family-friendly experience that won’t break the bank need look no further than Holiday Lights at the Medina County Fairgrounds.
The display, which is on the 2021 Ohio Holiday Lights Trail, features not only lights, but also vintage items, handcrafted figures and creative touches that blend seamlessly with rustic fair buildings, agricultural implements and tall trees.
Enter the display via Fair Road, which encircles the fairground office located at 720 W. Smith Road. Admission is $10 per standard vehicle, so load up the whole family. Payment can be made by cash or check.
The winding, mile-long display opened on a chilly Friday evening following Thanksgiving, though a steady procession of visitors was not the least bit deterred by the somewhat inclement conditions.
Reminders of simpler times past are interspersed throughout the fairgrounds. (Photo Courtesy of Medina County Fair)
Upcoming dates for the event are Dec. 3-5 and Dec. 10-26. Holiday Lights is open from 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays and weekdays.
Attendance in 2020 surged due to strong word-of-mouth advertising and some positive press, though the coronavirus pandemic likely played the bigger role in ensuring that the safe, socially distanced driving tour succeeded in spectacular fashion.
Previous record attendance for the event, which has been staged by a handful of hardy volunteers since 2001, was around 4,000 vehicles. Last year, more than 8,400 vehicles passed through the gates.
“We were pleasantly surprised,” noted Barb Nixon, the plainspoken fair director and chair of the Holiday Lights Committee. “We were overwhelmed at times, to be honest with you, but we’re prepared this year. Hopefully, we’ll have the same amount.”
Creativity is never in short supply at Holiday Lights in Medina, adding to the overall charm of the display. (Chris M. Worrell, special to cleveland.com)
Although the lighting itself rivals many commercial displays, Holiday Lights focuses on delivering a traditional feel with distinctive touches.
“Most of it we designed ourselves, and we worked to make things different so it’s not just thousands of lights,” explained Nixon. “We do a lot of creative things.”
There really is a childlike wonder, even for curmudgeonly old reporters, to viewing carefully handcrafted wooden Disney, “Sesame Street,” “Flintstones” and “Peanuts” characters while the music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” plays over the public address system.
Keep an eye out as well for Frosty the Snowman, Thomas the Tank Engine, My Little Ponies, Sponge Bob Square Pants, various Santa figures, happy vegetables (it is a county fair, after all), Snow White and the Little Mermaid.
The illusion of motion is prominently displayed in scenes featuring hot air balloons lifting off, shooting stars, a jack-in-the-box, floating orbs, the tunnel of lights, leaping reindeer and more.
Traditional Christmas themes abound at Holiday Lights and blend easily with fairground barns and outbuildings. (Chris M. Worrell, special to cleveland.com)
Traditional themes like candy canes, wreaths, nativity scenes and snowmen are sprinkled throughout the display, and the grandstand boasts a patriotic tribute to the troops.
Countless creative touches are impossible not to enjoy. Who hasn’t wondered what Santa would look like riding a cow or why we cannot have frogs at Christmas? Some very creative used-tire snowmen, painted white and wrapped in lights, add an “upcycled” feel to the holiday assemblage.
The grounds themselves provide much of the charm. Vintage sleds, lighted livestock and traditional carolers seem very much at home amid farm equipment, including a lighted John Deere tractor, pole buildings, old tools and a Prairie Farms Dairy trailer pulling two massive, festooned cows. Really, how often do you see that?
Nixon recommends pairing the roughly 45-minute tour with one or more of the many attractions available in downtown Medina.
Visit Public Square to admire downtown lights and to view the Christmas tree that is erected annually in the stately gazebo. Adding to the festive ambiance, shops surrounding the square boast tastefully decorated windows.
For further holiday fun, visitors can stop by nearby Castel Noel, the largest year-round Christmas attraction in the country.
Those needing to fuel up a bit can enjoy a meal at House of Hunan, 17 Public Square, Sully’s Irish Pub, P.J. Marley’s or Courthouse Pizzeria, among others, or just warm up with a cup at one of the coffee shops.
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