From lights to ‘A Christmas Carol’ to train displays, families can find much holiday happiness

Welcome the holiday season by attending a light show, a play, a festival or any of many other events. A large number of activities—forced to take a year off in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic—are back in 2021. Check out some of the following longtime events this year:

WinterFest at Kings Island
6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason

Lots of fun activities await park-goers at Kings Island’s WinterFest. Take a carriage ride, decorate cookies in Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, ice skate on Snow Flake Lake, watch the ice carvers, or get your picture taken with the jolly ol’ man in the red suit. Friday through Sunday till Dec. 19; Monday through Thursday, Dec. 20-23; and Sunday through Friday, Dec. 26-31. More information.

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine

Experience the grandeur of Cincinnati’s Music Hall as you enjoy a beloved holiday tradition with music, laughter and seasonal inspiration for all. For the holidays, Music Hall is adorned with beautiful decorations. Dec. 3-5 and Dec. 10-12. More information.

Playhouse in the Park
962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams

Ebenezer Scrooge returns to Playhouse in the Park, undergoing a miraculous Christmas Eve transformation as he views his past, present and the possibilities of the future in A Christmas Carol. The heartwarming story is sure to leave you feeling good about how a miserly man can indeed change. Through Dec. 30 at the Marx Theatre. Information and tickets.

Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo
3400 Vine St., Avondale

The Cincinnati Zoo is shining bright after transforming into a “Wild Wonderland” for the 39th annual PNC Festival of Lights. With 4 million LED lights, visitors can enjoy the night throughout the zoo after spending the day visiting the animals. Find the five Fiona fairies in Fairyland, take in a blacklight puppet show, and marvel at the Wild Lights show on Swan Lake. Through Jan. 9, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Information.

Christmas Nights of Lights at Coney Island
6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township

Drive through Coney Island’s wondrous displays, with glowing snowflakes, dancing candy canes and tunnels of lights. Tune your car radio to Coney’s soundtrack, and sing along with traditional and rocking holiday music synchronized to each display. The 2½-mile ride will take you through more than a million lights controlled by more than 40,000 computer channels. Through Jan. 2. More information.

ChristmasTown at Creation Museum
2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, Kentucky

Experience a live Nativity, the Garden of Lights and the Eden Animal Experience, among other activities, at the Creation Museum’s ChristmasTown, for only the cost of parking. More details.

Holiday Junction at Union Terminal
1301 Western Ave., Queensgate

The Duke Energy holiday trains are celebrating 75 years—delighting generations since they first debuted downtown in 1946. More than 300 rail cars and 60 locomotives steam through the Holiday Junction display at Union Terminal. Thursday through Monday through Jan. 2. More information.