Candlelight Christmas

Candlelight Christmas is a super unique event. It is one of my favorite things to do to celebrate Christmas! Candlelight Christmas is found at “This is the Place” which is right across from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is only open in December. However, you must go after 5 pm and before 11pm but not on Sundays. This event can be absolutely freezing, so be prepared. I also recommend getting there at 4:30 because parking is super limited, and it always fills up with people very fast. I would plan on being there for around two hours as there is a lot to see and do.

The event costs $5 per person, unless you have a membership and then it is free with your membership! Most of it is outdoors and involves a lot of walking. The “This is the Place” statue marks the entrance to Candlelight Christmas. It provides an excellent view of Salt Lake City and the sunset. The very first thing you will see when you walk in is the train! Anyone can ride it and it goes entirely around the Candlelight Christmas event. The train ride can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes, it just depends on how long you want to ride the train for. Both the left and right sides are filled with small old fashioned houses and buildings, each with their own activities and things to do inside.

The hospital provides an area to draw and create your own nutcracker or snowman ornament. There are also quilts and handmade sewn objects for sale in the upstairs part. The chapel provides a video of a Christmas movie to watch. The bank provides gold coins and a chance to take pictures with Scrooge and Marley. If you start to feel hungry, there is a fancy old fashioned donut shop where donuts cost 50 cents! The line for the donuts is often super long, so make sure to plan ahead if you want to purchase a fresh out of the oven donut. The stable has real life animals and a real life nativity scene. They ask that everyone is quiet so that the animals and baby can sleep. There are a few restaurants to purchase and eat food at. The blacksmith shows demonstrations of metal working and will sometimes give metal candy canes to children. In the General Store, you can learn to make a candle! I thought this was super cool. They provide all of the materials and after about 10 minutes, you will have a homemade honey smelling candle. Hot chocolate is also very popular here. You can purchase hot chocolate kits and roast marshmallows with your hot chocolate over real fires.

Christmas carolers walk around and sing Christmas songs to everyone walking around. Santa is also found in the Gift Shop on your way out. This line can be long too, and kids receive a special treat for coming to see santa!

Candlelight Christmas is not to miss!