Event Info

Embrace the festive spirit and make Holiday Lights at the Lake your treasured holiday tradition! As you drive through the enchanting West Overlook Campground, you'll be captivated by our fifth annual community celebration. A magical mile of dazzling animated light displays awaits, complete with a captivating animated tunnel and countless sparkling arches and holiday figures.

West Overlook Campground is transformed into a whimsical winter wonderland. Delight in the playful antics of dancing polar bears, be awed by the giant poinsettia pot and forest, and join in the fun as we take you “Under the Sea”- a new scene for 2025!

Take a heartwarming journey down "Memory Lane," where a vibrant collection of illuminated trees pays tribute to cherished loved ones.

Many beloved displays are making a delightful return, including the "Farming in Iowa" area featuring "Snowmerican Gothic," a joyful twist on Grant Wood's timeless "American Gothic."

Cost starts at $10.00 for a family car or van. Cash and credit are accepted at the gate or you can pre-purchase your ticket via eventbrite.com for an additional fee.

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Operating Hours
(open nightly)

Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs

5:30pm-8:30pm

Friday and Saturday

5:00pm-9:00pm

WALK-THROUGH DATES, 2025

Wednesday, November 26th
Wednesday, December 3rd
Sunday, December 7th
Wednesday, December 10th
Wednesday, December 17th
Sunday, December 28th

Many of our guests bring their own fun to the event with festive cars and fanciful dressing!

All Other Evenings are Drive Through Only!

See Santa and Mrs. Claus every Sunday and Wednesday before Christmas!

The Event Route

Location

4053 West Overlook Campground

West Overlook Rd. NE

Iowa City, Iowa

Let's Go

Map Points

1. drive through entrance
2. walk-through Wednesday entrance
3. warming station/concessions (Wednesday Only)
4. warming station/concessions (Wednesday Only)
5. overflow for ticket line (drive through only)
6. walk-through Wednesday parking
6. over flow for ticket line (drive through only)

Holiday Lights at the Lake Directional Sign on the corner of Dubuque St. and West Overlook Rd. in Iowa City

From Interstate 80 (Iowa City, IA) take Exit 244 towards Dubuque St./North Liberty. Travel north on Dubuque St. for 3 miles and turn right onto West Overlook Rd. NE. Travel on West Overlook Rd. NE for 1.1 miles. At the stop sign take a slight left turn. The entrance to the West Overlook Campground will be located straight ahead.

From Interstate 380 (North Liberty, IA) take Exit 4 towards North Liberty. Travel east on W. Penn St. for 2 miles and turn right onto N Dubuque St. Travel south on N Dubuque St. for 1.9 miles, at the traffic circle, continue straight onto Dubuque St NE. Continue traveling south on Dubuque St. NE for 1.8 miles. Turn left onto West Overlook Rd. NE and travel east for 1.1 miles. At the stop sign take a slight left turn. The entrance to the West Overlook Campground will be located straight ahead.

Helpful Hints

We are humbled by all the support from our local and surrounding communities.

We have a few helpful hints and suggestions to consider before heading out to the event:

We accept cash and credit at the door

If you prefer to purchase a ticket before the event please visit our ticketing site. *fees apply

Wait times on Friday and Saturday evenings, and the week before Christmas, may be a bit longer than weekday nights. On some of our busy evenings, a line may form in the West Overlook Day Use parking lot. Portable restrooms will be available in the upper and lower parking lots if needed. We appreciate your understanding and patience with our volunteers! In 2024, we added a separate credit card lane to assist in keeping the flow of traffic moving.

We anticipate it will take you about 15 minutes to drive through the route. On Walk-Through Only Events (November 26th, December 3rd, 7th, 10th, 17th, 28th) it takes an average of 45-60 minutes to walk the entire route. However, we encourage our walking guests to spend as much time as they wish in the campground during operating hours!

We love to suggest driving over the dam complex via Prairie du Chien Road to get a special glimpse of Holiday Lights at the Lake as you make your way to the entrance! This is also a helpful route for busy traffic evenings.

The lights are not set to a specific radio or music station. We suggest making a playlist of your favorite holiday music or tuning into one of the local stations that play holiday music around the clock. Speakers playing music are located throughout the event route.

Upon arriving at Santa's Workshop, we suggest putting your vehicle headlights in the low beam or parking settings. Unfortunately, you can not turn your headlights off completely.

On walk-through events, holiday music plays throughout the campground . You're welcome to stay as long as you want during operating hours. We have complimentary parking in the West Overlook Day Use parking lot. Gates close at 8:30.
- In efforts to enhance safety and convenience, ticketing and entrance for walk-through events take place in the West Overlook Day Use area. Our helpful elves will be on-site to direct traffic!
- *Walk-Through Events Only* Fire-pit warming stations and goodwill donation concessions will be offered! All proceeds from the sale of concessions benefit Friends of the Coralville Lake
- Dogs are welcome! Please keep in mind there are lots of sights, sounds, and kiddo's! Please make sure everyone stays on the path and please pick up after your dog.

Santa Claus is a close personal friend of the Holiday Lights at the Lake Board of Directors and stops by our event every Wednesday and Sunday until Christmas. If you catch him on a Walk-Through night, he's usually available for photo opportunities and may even have Mrs. Claus with him!

Bring your letters to Santa and drop them in the mailbox near Santa's Workshop. We will make sure he gets them in time for Christmas!
All proceeds benefit The Bird House, Hospice Home of Johnson County.

This event is run 100% by community volunteers! We thank you for your patience and always appreciate your feedback. Please send any comments to holidaylightsatthelake@gmail.com

Donate

Merch

A percentage of all merchandise sold goes directly to Holiday Lights at the Lake

GIANT WAVING SANTA THANKS!

We are so thankful for The Army Corps of Engineers and all their help! We couldn't do this without you!

Walk-Through Wednesday Partners

Holiday Lights at the Lake is excited to partner with Friends of the Coralville Lake (FOCL) during our walk-through Wednesday events!

The Friends of Coralville Lake (FOCL) is a non-profit partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and local organizations interested in the well-being of Coralville Lake. FOCL is committed to enhancing the recreational and aesthetic values of the area it serves, by connecting the people of the local community with the land through its three core values: communication, education, and conservation. They are currently working to complete a feasibility study and launch a larger, multi-year fundraising campaign that will allow them to address the extremely high sedimentation rates at the north end of the lake. Their goal is for the lake to be here for future generations to continue to enjoy for many, many years.

Join Holiday Lights at the Lake and the Friends of the Coralville Lake for a fun and memorable event every Wednesday. Not only will you enjoy breathtaking light displays and fresh air, you'll also have the opportunity to purchase concessions at a suggested donation price and enjoy fire-pit warming stations for roasting s'mores and warming your hands.

All proceeds and donations collected at the concessions and warming stations will go directly to Friends of the Coralville Lake to support their efforts in preserving and protecting the natural beauty and wildlife in the Coralville Lake area. We appreciate your generosity and support in helping them reach our fundraising goal.

Together, we can make a difference.