"Some people are less fortunate and they might not be able to take their kids through a $25 Christmas light ride," Wooton, whose city crew gets Freeman Lake Park ready each year, told The News-Enterprise. "That allows an opportunity here that other places don't have."
That free light ride opens for its 36th season on Wednesday, November 25, the night before Thanksgiving. The same evening, five downtown businesses open Tipsy Turkey 2026 on the Public Square. One event sits off West Dixie Avenue and the other is on the square where Dixie runs through downtown. Nine days later, on December 4, the Light Up Etown parade runs Dixie between the two. Elizabethtown's holiday season follows one road, and most of what lines it is put up by neighbors.
Wednesday, November 25, on the Square
Elizabethtown Tourism lists Tipsy Turkey 2026 from 5 to 9 p.m. in Historic Downtown Elizabethtown, centered on the Public Square. The listing invites everyone to "Kick off your Thanksgiving weekend the best way and enjoy the night!" and names five participating businesses.
Their addresses show how small the footprint is:
| Business | Address |
|---|---|
| Social Food Hall | 110 South Main Street |
| HubHaus | 109 South Main Street |
| Flywheel Brewing | 218 South Mulberry Street |
| Bourbon Barrel Tavern | 110 West Dixie Avenue |
| The Straight and Narrow | 125 East Dixie Avenue |
Social Food Hall and HubHaus face each other across South Main. Bourbon Barrel Tavern and The Straight and Narrow sit on West and East Dixie. Every stop is downtown, and you can walk between them. Two of the five are on Dixie Avenue, the road the rest of this season follows.
HubHaus is a fairly recent arrival. Elizabethtown Tourism's November 2025 roundup of what changed downtown said it had joined the square the previous May, in the same report that named Birdwhistell Books and New Style Records as new downtown shops. For tickets, specials and the night's format, check the event's own page, which the Tourism listing links through Facebook.
The Same Night at Freeman Lake
At 6 p.m. that Wednesday, an hour after the square gets going, the City of Elizabethtown opens Christmas in the Park at Freeman Lake Park. It runs nightly from 6 to 11 p.m. through January 1, 2027, and it's free. The entrance is Blue Heron Way, off West Dixie Avenue. The city gives 220 Blue Heron Way as the GPS address.
The city describes more than 100 displays along an illuminated roadway. Most of them don't belong to the city.
Who Actually Builds the Lights
The News-Enterprise's coverage of setup in a past season lays out the split. Local businesses, civic organizations and churches supply their own displays and set them up, with help from the parks crew. The city adds about 20 more displays and accents, and it pays the electric bill. Wooton told the paper that helping those groups with their displays was the biggest part of the job, and also part of what made it rewarding.
"And the community works on it together. We all work together to make this happen. That's the biggest part of it. That takes about four days."
In that account, once the outside displays were up, the crew had about a week left. They filled the empty spots with city displays, put up the road lights, set up the music the park plays itself and posted signs. Hanging the continuous light strands along both sides of the drive used to take about three days. Then park employee Andy Thomas built a hydraulic attachment for the back of a tractor that turns a large wooden spool, and the crew now uses it to roll the lights out and wind them back up.
The money comes from visitors too. Donations are voluntary and dropped off at the exit. After the park's 34th season, city officials told The News-Enterprise that more than 60,000 visitors had come through in about 30,000 carloads between Thanksgiving and January 1. About $45,000 in donations helped cover electricity and new displays. That works out to roughly $1.50 per car. Each display a church or business builds is one the city doesn't have to buy, and each dollar left at the exit helps keep it lit.
That same setup coverage covered walkers, too. That season, the central area of the park closed on November 1 for prep, but walkers could still use the park in daylight. After 5 p.m., it closed to pedestrians so traffic could start flowing at 6.
Before Thanksgiving, the Marketplace Raises Money the Same Way
The first big holiday date comes before Dixie Avenue lights up. On Saturday, November 14, the Elizabethtown Junior Woman's Club holds its Holiday Marketplace at Pritchard Community Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Elizabethtown Tourism lists it as the club's 44th year, with more than 70 vendors expected.
It runs on the same model as the park, with local volunteers putting on a public event that pays for something bigger. The club names four 2026 beneficiaries:
- CASA of the Heartland
- WHAS Crusade for Kids
- Radcliff Shop with a Cop
- Silverleaf
December 4, the Parade Runs the Route Between Them
The Light Up Etown Parade and Tree Lighting is Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m. The parade starts at West Dixie Avenue and Saint John Road, heads south on Dixie and ends at the Downtown Elizabethtown Square.
After the parade, Mayor Jeff Gregory reads "Twas the Night Before Christmas," Santa leads Christmas caroling, and the night ends with the Light Up Countdown. The start time and route match last year's parade, which was on December 5, 2025.
Groups entering the parade have one rule to plan for. Walking isn't permitted in this nighttime parade, and every participant has to ride on or in a vehicle because visibility is poor after dark. The city's 2026 parade rules and guidelines and the vehicle-entry application are both on the Light Up Etown page.
Planning the Stretch From November 14 to December 4
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Holiday Marketplace | Pritchard Community Center | 9 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Tipsy Turkey 2026 | Public Square, downtown | 5–9 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Christmas in the Park opens | Freeman Lake Park, via Blue Heron Way | 6–11 p.m. nightly through Jan. 1 |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Light Up Etown Parade and Tree Lighting | West Dixie at Saint John Road to the Downtown Square | 7 p.m. |
Since both events open on Thanksgiving Eve, the timing is simple:
- Tipsy Turkey starts on the square at 5 p.m.
- The park opens to cars at 6 p.m., and the lights stay on until 11.
- Christmas in the Park runs every night through January 1, so opening night is just one of more than five weeks of chances.
The Central Kentucky News Journal has reported that there's often a line of cars waiting to get in. If you drive the loop, bring a few dollars for the donation box at the exit. That money helps light the displays your neighbors' churches, businesses and clubs spent four days setting up.
The Olive + Oak team calls Hardin County home, and we'll be out along Dixie this season too. If your plans for the coming year include selling a home near Freeman Lake or downtown, or anywhere else in Elizabethtown, Olive + Oak Realty can help you prepare, price and time the sale so it fits your family's holiday schedule. Request your free Home Strategy Session.
