CINCINNATI -- The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends. You can share some of that holiday magic together at these events:
Holiday in Lights: 5:30-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 6-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday through Dec. 31. Sharon Woods, 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville. $15 per vehicle; $45 for buses and 15-person passenger vans. Driving through Sharon Woods to see holiday lights has been a holiday tradition for more than 28 years, and this year will be no different. The Hamilton County park will transform into a winter wonderland with thousands of sparkling light displays.
PNC Festival of Lights: 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale. $12-$17. Marvel at the zoo's more than 3 million lights. Visits with Santa Claus begin at 4 p.m. each day.
Holiday Junction: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. Free with purchase of general admission to the museum center. The Duke Energy train display returns Saturday, Nov. 17, to Union Terminal after a two-year hiatus as part of a new Holiday Junction experience at the Cincinnati Museum Center. The junction features separate areas that display floor-to-ceiling LEGO landscapes with motorized trains, the classic Duke trains and a chance to meet with Santa starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Christmas Nights of Lights: 6-10 p.m. daily through Jan. 6. Coney Island Amusement Park, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. $6 per person; children age 3 and under free. Experience the wonder that is the Christmas Nights of Lights' 2 1/2-mile drive-through light show that is synchronized to both traditional and rocking holiday music played through your car radio.
Kings Island Winterfest: Select nights Nov. 23-Dec. 31. Kings Island Amusement Park, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason. Free admission for Gold Pass members; $25.99 general admission. Winterfest, a Cincinnati holiday tradition, returns to Kings Island Amusement Park for its second year in a row. Enjoy lights, live entertainment and more than 17 rides at the park.
Holiday Lights on the Hill: 6-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 6-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday starting Nov. 16 through Dec. 31. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Road, Hamilton. $20-$25 per carload; $15 for members. Enjoy a two-mile drivable path through a Pyramid Hill decked out in twinkling lights.
The O’Keeffe’s Ice Rink: Noon-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 21; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Sunday from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4; noon-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday from Jan. 5 to Feb. 18. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown. $6 admission, $4 skate rentals. Skate the day away with family and friends. The rink will remain open through February, with hours changing after Dec. 22.
A Crystal Holiday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Jan. 7; special holiday hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 25; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 24; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 25. Krohn's Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. $7 adults; $4 children ages 5-17; free admission ages 4 and under. Admire Krohn's collection of beautiful holiday plants, model trains and hand-crafted ornaments.
The Christmas Ranch: 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday through Dec. 23. The Christmas Ranch, 3205 S. Waynesville Road, Morrow. $20 per vehicle. The Christmas Ranch is decked out with more than 1 million lights set to music. There are also shops, rides and a chance to meet Santa Claus at the ranch. The ranch is closed the day of Thanksgiving.
Playhouse in the Park’s "A Christmas Carol": Nov. 21-Dec. 29. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams. $30-$71. Playhouse in the Park will once again bring Charles Dickens' classic to life at the Marx Theater. The playhouse will host multiple performances of the play Nov. 21 through Dec. 29.
"The Nutcracker": Dec. 13-24. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $36-$125. "The Nutcracker," performed by the Cincinnati Ballet, returns to Music Hall with 15 performances this holiday season.
Water Wonderland with Scuba Santa: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily Nov. 23-Dec. 31. Newport Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Way, Newport. $19.99 pass holders; $34.99 adults; $24.99 children. Watch as Santa makes special visits daily from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday to the aquarium.
Antique Christmas: Daily through Jan. 6. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Explore Christmases of yore with the Taft's Antique Christmas exhibit. The exhibit includes galleries showing the many faces of Santa through the years, Victorian-era decorations and antique toys.
Summit Park Ice Rink: 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17-Dec. 14. Holiday hours: noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Dec. 15-Jan. 4. Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash. $5 admission; ages 3 and under free. The ice rink is under the glass canopy. Food trucks also will be nearby. The rink will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and will be closed on Christmas and New Year's day.
Light Up the Fair: 5:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Boone County Fair Grounds, 5819 Idlewild Rd, Burlington. $6 per person up to four; $25 flat fee 5-8 passengers; $5 per person for cars with 9 or more passengers. Light Up the Fair is a new drive-through light show synchronized to music located at the Boone County Fairgrounds. The event is a mile-long display with more than a half-million lights.
