Bowling Green has a rich heritage of holiday traditions, with special seasonal events from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and beyond. Several venues and organizations that host existing holiday events are coming together to launch the new Light Up BGKY weeklong holiday lighting tradition, coming November 27 thru December 3.
Light Up BGKY is your guide to all things lit up for the season in the Bowling Green area. While including major lighting events every day of the light up week, the online lights map provides a way to plan your perfectly lit route to experience holiday fun. If your friends and family are looking for places to see holiday lights throughout the season, Light Up BGKY is your tour guide.
Thank you to these community organizations for coming together to sponsor and bring Light Up BGKY to life: City of Bowling Green, Warren County, Med Center Health Foundation, Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College, Western Kentucky University, The Reindeer Farm, Historic RailPark & Train Museum, BG Trolley Tours, and Riverview at Hobson Grove Historic House Museum. The group is a mixture of public and private entities that already host holiday activities. Adding more light ups in the future could be a possibility.
There are 18 events spanning the 7 days!
Monday, November 27:
Kickoff ribbon-cutting ceremony at WKU’s Cherry Hall with President Caboni and Big Red, courtesy of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, November 28:
Med Center Health’s Make the Season Bright at the Hospitality House
Wednesday, November 29:
Christmas Marketplace at Riverview at Hobson Grove Historic House Museum
Movies at the Capitol: It’s a Wonderful Toy Drive
Thursday, November 30:
Light Up the Depot at the Historic RailPark
Storytime in the Snow Dome at SoKY Ice Rink with Warren County Public Library
Friday, December 1:
Christmas on College Street at City Hall
Warren County Courthouse Open House
Storytime Meet and Greet with The Grinch at The Capitol Theatre
Downtown BGKY Lights Up at Fountain and Circus Squares, SoKY Ice Rink, and SKyPAC
Unseen Bowling Green downtown Dickens Christmas holiday tours launch
Mistletoe Market at SoKY Marketplace’s Historic Venue on 7th
Saturday, December 2:
Bowling Green/Warren County Jaycees Christmas Parade
Mistletoe Market at SoKY Marketplace’s Historic Venue on 7th
Christmas in Kentucky at the Kentucky Museum
A Bluegrass Holiday with Lost River Sessions at The Capitol Theatre
Sunday, December 3:
Ice sculpting weekend at The Reindeer Farm and SoKY Ice Rink
Christmas on College Hill holiday home tour with the Landmark Association
Locals and visitors ask where they can see holiday lights for the season. Plan your trip with Light Up BGKY. If a business, organization, or neighborhood wants to invite the community to drive or walk through its holiday light display, “Submit a Stop” on the Light Up BGKY site’s interactive lights map to be considered. Plan a holiday destination route using the interactive GIS-mapping feature based on your mobile device’s current location.
Light Up BGKY establishes a weeklong kickoff to the holiday season and builds Bowling Green into an even more magical winter wonderland and holiday destination. Website visitors will also find inspirational links for a few more local holiday experiences. The community is invited to participate in all the light up events! Even if you can’t make it, each spot will be shining all season long.
Find out more about each light up event at lightupbgky.org or follow @lightupbgky on Facebook, Instagram, and X.