For 20 Decembers, the biggest light display in Derry Township was one you could see without leaving your car. The route ran two miles through fields and tree-lined roads between Route 39 and Sand Beach Road, across from Hersheypark. This year the fields stay dark. Hersheypark Christmas Candylane opens Friday, November 13, with more than 5 million lights, and every one of them is behind a turnstile.
That changes the math for a Hershey household in December. The drive-through was a single evening you could plan around anything. This year the choice is a ticketed park on select dates or a handful of free community events, each held on one specific day. And if your family's tradition was looking at lights through the windshield, the nearest substitutes are now in Lancaster County.
What Hersheypark Actually Said
The announcement came in September, and it was short. ABC27 reported that the park's website said it would "focus on growing Hersheypark Christmas Candylane" and retire the drive-through. The full statement, which The Sun printed in full, said Sweet Lights "will not return in 2026" and thanked "every family who made the drive-thru a part of your holiday tradition."
The park gave no other reason. Sweet Lights opened in 2005, and The Sun ran the news alongside another goodbye: Tidal Force, the 32-year-old Boardwalk flume with its 100-foot incline, made its last run on Labor Day. In one week, Hersheypark retired two attractions that people in town had grown up with.
The Displays Went Up for Sale
On October 29, PennLive reported that the Hersheypark online store was selling used Sweet Lights pieces for anywhere from $50, for an individual gingerbread or puppy, to $5,000 for the complete 12 Days of Christmas set. ABC27 reported the store's terms the same day, and they explain exactly what a buyer takes home:
- Frame only. "No animation devices or extension cords will be provided," according to the listing.
- Working when it came down, not guaranteed now. The displays "were operational at time of removal following the 2025 season," but the park "can not guarantee current operational usage."
- As is. Some bulbs and plugs may need replacing.
- Pickup only. The park emails buyers to schedule pickup and warns that "some pieces may need up to 6 people to load."
PennLive added that all sales are final. Those prices come from the October 29 listing, so check the store for what's left. ABC27 put the original route at nearly 600 illuminated and animated displays. Any of those frames that went to buyers could be back on display in someone's yard this December, one at a time, with no two-mile route to string them together.
What Moved Inside the Gate, and What It Costs
The park put its holiday budget into Candylane, and the new additions are listed on the Christmas Candylane page. This season adds a Fire & Ice Experience, which The Sun described as "icy lights and blazing flames." The Twin Turnpike gets festive cars and displays, Holly Jolly Laff Trakk gets a holiday soundtrack, and the Estate of Evil haunted house hosts a holiday open house. Returning favorites include HERSHEY'S TREEville, the Twinkling Thru Time show, and Santa with all nine reindeer. Candylane runs select dates through January 3, and the park sends visitors to its app for each day's hours.
The biggest difference from the old drive-through is the price structure. As of early November, the park's page lists these offers, plus taxes and fees:
| Offer | Listed price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Family 4-Pack Bundle | $57 per person | Four admissions and free parking for one vehicle |
| 1-Day Any Day Ticket | $66.99 | One visit on any public operating day |
| 2-Day Any Day Ticket | $50 per day | Any two days |
| Junior/Senior Any Day Ticket | $54.99 | One visit |
All of these tickets are valid through January 3, 2027. A family of four on the bundle pays $228 before taxes and fees. The closest comparable drive-through, the Christmas Spirit Light Show at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster, charges $25 per vehicle for up to eight passengers. The two aren't the same outing. Candylane includes rides, shows and a full evening on foot. Still, the comparison shows what Hershey lost this year, which is a low-cost light show you could see from your car.
Hershey Bears fans have one way to cut that cost. On Pass Night, November 20 at GIANT Center, every fan gets a 2027 Hersheypark one-day ticket good through June 30, 2027. That ticket covers next year's park season, not this year's Candylane.
The Free Lights Now Come With a Date
Without a drive-through, Hershey's no-ticket holiday lights come down to a few community events, each on a single day or a short run of weekends. These are the ones listed for the 2026 season:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily from Nov. 20 except Thanksgiving, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Christmas Tree Showcase | Hershey Gardens | Included with general admission |
| Nov. 21 and 28, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Crafty Christmas Creations | Hershey Gardens | Included with admission |
| Weekends Nov. 28 to Dec. 20, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Toy trains and Festival of Trees | Fort Hunter Park | Free |
| Nov. 29, 3 to 5 p.m. | Holiday Tree Lighting | Campbelltown Community Park, 129 Lawn Road, Palmyra | Free |
| Dec. 5 | Light Up Downtown Hershey | ChocolateTown Square Park | Free community event |
| Dec. 6 | Tree Lighting Ceremony | Hummelstown | See listing |
Details live on the Hershey November events roundup, Dauphin County's Christmas at Fort Hunter page, the Campbelltown tree lighting listing, Visit Hershey & Harrisburg's free events calendar and the Hummelstown event page.
December 5 is the busiest night of the season in town. Light Up Downtown Hershey and its tree lighting fill ChocolateTown Square Park that day, and the Hershey Symphony plays Sounds of the Season at Hershey Theatre at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A 3 p.m. concert still leaves time to walk over for the lighting. For a morning tradition, Breakfast with Santa at The Chocolatier runs select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from November 27 through December 24, 8 to 10:45 a.m., and you need to buy tickets in advance.
Where the Drive-Throughs Went
For a show you can see from the car, the options start in Lancaster County. Closest to home is Stone Gables Estate at 1 Hollinger Lane in Elizabethtown, which lists its 9th Annual Christmas Light Drive-Thru for 2026. Farther out:
- Christmas Spirit Light Show, Penn Medicine Park, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster. Runs November 27 through December 31. Hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $25 per vehicle for up to eight passengers, $35 for vehicles with nine or more, or $75 for a season pass.
- Refreshing Mountain Christmas Lights, 455 Camp Road, Stevens. Runs November 13, 2026, through January 2, 2027, with a walking path and zipline options.
- Dutch Winter Wonderland, 2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster. Illumination Lane runs November 14 through January 3.
- Christmas in the Park, Terre Hill Park. Runs December 4 to 6 and 11 to 13, 5 to 8:30 p.m. General admission is free, the lighted walking trail is $8 with children 3 and under free, and parking is $5 per vehicle. Drop-off is at 210 Lancaster Ave., Terre Hill, and shuttle parking is at 1030 Precast Road, New Holland.
The Christmas Spirit show is the closest match to the old Sweet Lights evening: a single price per car, open every night for five weeks. In Hershey itself, the lights this December are at Candylane, at Hershey Gardens, around the downtown tree on December 5, and in whatever Sweet Lights frames buyers set up in their own yards.
If this season has you wondering what your own house would bring, the John Smith Team is happy to help. We've followed Derry Township through decades of Decembers. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through what Hershey homes are selling for right now.
