Best Christmas Lights in the East Bay
This guide to the most magical Christmas lights in the East Bay is sponsored by Fourth Street in Berkeley.
We are huge fans of holiday light displays because, so often, they are a free and lovely way to enjoy time together for mixed generations. Yes, please!
Whether you stay in the car and do a “drive-by” or get out to stroll, appreciating the hard work of those who put up holiday light displays is a fun winter tradition that is totally low cost or even FREE. Here are our picks for light-peeping this year, sponsored by Berkeley’s Fourth Street shopping district.
Best Christmas Lights in Berkeley and North
Fourth Street in Berkeley
You only have to see them once and you’ll fall in love! The holiday lights on Fourth Street are entertaining and are inspiring – on every night at dusk for the season – making even a 5 pm rice and beans dinner at Tacubaya feel special. They’re on display nightly through the new year, with three blocks worth of sparkling color!
Don’t miss the launch party!
Saturday, Nov. 9 from 5-7 pm. Lights on and dazzling! The kick-off celebration includes complimentary cookies and hot beverages including Mexican hot chocolate from Tacubaya, an art project for all ages, a giant snow fox puppet, snow fairy on stilts, live music, and two shows from Coventry & Kaluza.
Visit the Fourth Street website for all the details!
More Christmas lights in Berkeley
Tilden Park Merry Go Round
Decked out for the holidays, the Carousel in Tilden Park has evening hours so you can appreciate the festive lights. Santa has hours onsite, too. Learn more about the Merry Go Round at Christmas >
Best Christmas Lights in Alameda
Parts of Alameda are so fabulous that we flock from all around to enjoy a stroll or a slow drive.
Alameda’s Christmas Tree Lane
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2024 through New Year’s Eve. A must-see for East Bay families, we love the slow stroll to appreciate every detail. Learn more about Alameda’s Christmas Tree Lane here >
Lighted Yacht Parade
Saturday, December 7, 2024. The boat owners of Jack London and Alameda will sail through the Estuary making it possible to see their lights from either side. No watercraft is too small for this fun parade! Learn more about this holiday boat parade and a few others!
Best Christmas Lights in Oakland
If you’re willing to pay admission prices for a glorious display of lights, you can’t go wrong with Oakland Zoo’s Glowfari event (Nov. 8 – Jan. 26) or Fairyland’s Fairy Winterland (Dec. 14-30).
Temple Hill (Oakland)
Friday, November 29 – New Year’s Eve. The grounds of the LDS Temple are beautifully lit and available to explore until 9 pm. Learn more about their beautiful gardens and holiday light display.
Mountain View Cemetery on Piedmont Ave in Oakland
A very short walk around a roundabout makes this “Circle of Lights” perfect for toddlers who will be excited to get out of the car after dark. Opens on December 1, 2024.
Get the details >
Picardy Drive in Oakland
In the Mills College neighborhood on Picardy Drive between Seminary and 55th Ave., you can visit storybook-style houses all decked out in twinkling lights, and the whole neighborhood gets in on the holiday decorating tradition. Like Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda, you commit to participating when you buy a home on this street.
Christmas at Villa de Amore (Hayward)
The house at 22396 Ralston Court in Hayward puts on a decorative display, open to the public.
More Christmas lights in the East Bay
Best Lights in Walnut Creek & Concord
We verified this driving guide in 2022 to ten spots in a small radius between Walnut Creek and Concord. We’ll double-check the addresses in December. Buckle up and follow our Walnut Creek map >
Drive-through neighborhood: Crippsmas Place (Fremont)
This community rallies together every year to display hundreds of wooden cutouts of favorite characters such as Charlie Brown and the Scooby-Doo gang, along with thousands of lights. This year decorations will be up, and lit in the evenings 6 pm-10 pm, from December 7 to 28, 2024. Get the details on Crippsmas Place lights >
Walking through Garden of d’Lights (Walnut Creek)
Sparkling November 22, 2024, to January 11, 2025. This is a ticketed event at a huge outdoor garden that will light up acres of lights for walking through. Learn more about Ruth Bancroft Garden’s holiday lights event >
Drive-through Christmas lights: Candy Cane Lane (Pleasanton)
Beginning Saturday, December 7, 2024. Just a couple blocks off Main Street in Pleasanton, from 5-8:30 pm nightly, families can enjoy the festive music and lights of Candy Cane Lane. Start on Walnut Drive. Get the details on Candy Cane Lane lights >
Widmer World (Pleasanton)
3671 Chelsea Ct in Pleasanton will be home to a large-scale display that you’ll want to get out of the car to explore. Get details >
Deacon Dave’s Display (Livermore)
Igniting November 30. This impressive house will wow anyone who visits from 6 pm to 9 pm. Make it an outing that goes along with Pleasanton and it will be worth the drive! Learn more about Deacon Dave’s Livermore spot >
Christmas Lights in San Francisco
Individual Well-lit Houses in San Francisco
45 Upper Terrace
68 Castro (Santa hanging out the window)
Entwined in Golden Gate Park
This outing has been a favorite for a few years now: sculptural trees made of lights are on display from December through the winter months. (Will update with 2024 info when confirmed)
More Christmas Lights in the Greater Bay Area (worth the drive!)
Christmas Tree Lane (San Carlos)
Our South Bay friends cannot believe you haven’t visited their Christmas Tree Lane yet. Point your GPS to the 1900 block of Eucalyptus Ave. and you can drive by or walk through. Google Maps says it’s forty minutes from Berkeley.
Where: 1900-2000 Eucalyptus Ave, San Carlos
When: December 1-25
Filoli Gardens (Woodside)
Sparkling November 16 to January 12. A beautiful garden setting will light up, host a weekend Santa Claus, and offer a special evening experience for families who buy advance tickets. Learn more about the holiday lights in Filoli Gardens >
IlluminOdyssey (San Mateo)
Dazzling lights from November 10 through January 28, 2024. This special light exhibit runs every Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, plus open late until 8 pm on First Fridays. Families can explore the unique nature of light through interactive displays and science exhibits. Learn more >
Where: CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo
Rombeiro House (Novato)
We hear that a family in Novato goes all out with a number of complex light displays that you have to see to believe. MarinMommies.com has the low-down on those.
Where: 34 Devonshire Drive, off of Center Road, in Novato
Find more to do this holiday season in our East Bay Holiday Activities and Events Guide.