Holiday Lightshow

Stay connected with updates on show times on the Chamber FB page at CACC61520 – Canton Area Chamber of Commerce. THANK YOU!

Lightshow times: 5:30 – 8:30 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights only, except during the weeks of Christmas and New Years, lightshows will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (same times)

Lightshows will begin Saturday, November 25th and run through December 30th, 2023.

TICKET INFO: A $5 donation is suggested for a “ticket”. Oversized vans that are coming from facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living, etc. will be asked for a $10 donation due to the amount of space they will need at the show. No busses allowed without being prescheduled.

CASH ONLY. We will not have the ability to use a card and checks will not be accepted.

NO pre-sale tickets. Tickets are purchased the night you arrive at the show. We can host around 250 vehicles a night.

GETTING READY TO SEE THE SHOW: Gate will open at 5:15 to begin first show at 5:30 pm. See lightshow schedule under Lightshow Schedule tab above. Last show is at 8:30 pm so you need to enter the park by 8:15 pm.

After “purchasing your ticket” you are now inside Big Creek Park. WELCOME to one of our beautiful parks! Volunteers will direct you on where to drive inside the park to get to the show. You will drive down a hill and back up to get to a parking lot located at the Gary Baker Rec Center. This is where the Holiday Lightshow will be playing. Be prepared to wait in line as you approach the show area.

Once you get to the lightshow area, volunteers will be there to direct you to a viewing lane. The idea is that your car will continue to move closer and closer to the front viewing area. Everyone who comes to the light show will have a front row viewing of the entire lightshow. Each lightshow lasts approximately 15 minutes. The same show will play for all cars coming in each night. Again, see lightshow schedule for more details.

To hear the sound for the lightshow, tune to 106.5FM on your car radio. The music is synchronized with the lightshow. It is recommended that you find the station and then turn it off until you get up to the front viewing area.

When the show is over, after you have watched from the front viewing area, volunteers will give directions on how to exit the parking lot. Do not just take off, wait for instructions. NO ONE is allowed to stay for another watch. We want to give everyone the same opportunity to see the lightshow. You will exit onto N. Main Street.

SOME REQUESTS: Please stay in your car at all times. DO NOT LITTER!

RESTROOMS: If someone in the car needs to use the bathroom, there will be porta pottie only in the Gary Baker Rec Center parking lot where the lightshow is set up.

CAR LIGHTS OFF: It will be recommended that you turn off your headlights once you are parked in the Rec Center parking lot. This will help others around you enjoy the show fully.

Donations are a way that you can help us keep the Holiday Lightshow growing. Every year we plan to make the lightshow bigger and better, but displays are expensive. If you have questions about donating, feel free to call the Canton Chamber office at 309-647-2677 or email Carla Bobell, the Canton Chamber Director at cbobell@cantonillinois.org.

If you are a business or organization and would like to be a Sponsor of the Holiday Lightshow, we have two opportunities for you:

Major Sponsor – $500. With this sponsorship your business/organizations name will be highlighted in the Holiday Lightshow countdown between shows on an oversized matrix sign. You will also be included in the Holiday Lightshow brochure that is given to everyone who attends the lightshow. Includes 4 free passes.

Supporting Sponsor – $175. With this sponsorship your business/organizations name will be included in the Holiday Lightshow brochure that is given to everyone who attends the lightshow. Includes 2 free passes.

Please contact the Chamber office at 309-647-2677 or email Carla Bobell, the Canton Chamber Director to get more details and to get you signed up to support this amazing community event.

From the WEST – If you are coming from the west end of town, you will enter town on Rt. 9. Continue into town until you get to N. Main Street (stop light), turn left. Continue down N. Main Street to N. Park Avenue and take a left onto N. Park Avenue. You will pass the main entrance to Big Creek Park (across from high school) but DO NOT turn in here. Keep driving on N. Main Street and find N. Park Drive. Look for the Holiday Lightshow sign on the corner of N. Park Drive and N. Main Street. N. Park Drive will take you to the ticket area.

From the EAST – If you are coming from the east end of town, you will enter town on Rt. 9. At the 4 way stop (Subway is on this corner) turn right onto South 5th Avenue. Continue on South 5th Avenue until Locust Street. Turn left onto Locust Street at the 4 way stop sign just after passing Monical’s Pizza. Drive to N. Main Street (street light) and take a right. Continue on N. Main Street to N. Park Avenue and take a left onto N. Park Avenue. You will pass the main entrance to Big Creek Park (across from high school) but DO NOT turn in here. Keeping driving on N. Main Street and find N. Park Drive. Look for the Holiday Lightshow sign on the corner of N. Park Drive and N. Main Street. N. Park Drive will take you to the ticket area

From the SOUTH – If you are coming from the south end of town, you will enter town on Rt. 78. Continue into town on South 5th Avenue. Turn left onto Locust Street at the 4 way stop sign just after passing Monical’s Pizza. Drive to N. Main Street (street light) and take a right. Continue on N. Main Street to N. Park Avenue and take a left onto N. Park Avenue. You will pass the main entrance to Big Creek Park (across from high school) but DO NOT turn in here. Keep driving on N. Main Street and find N. Park Drive. Look for the Holiday Lightshow sign on the corner of N. Park Drive and N. Main Street. N. Park Drive will take you to the ticket area.

From the NORTH – If you are coming in to town from the north on Rt. 78, continue into town on N. Main Street. Turn right on N. Park Drive which is right after you pass the Temple Baptist Church. Look for the Holiday Lightshow sign on the corner. N. Park Drive will take you to the ticket area.

If you are interested in volunteering during a lightshow click on the button below to sign up or call the Canton Chamber at 309-647-2677 Ext. 2 or email Executive Director, Carla Bobell at cbobell@cantonillinois.org for more details.

Basic information: We need 8 to 10 volunteers each night. Shifts: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. We encourage businesses and organizations to get a group together. Volunteers must be 18 years and older. No children are allowed to volunteer for safety reasons.

Duties include: Selling tickets on N. Park Road (entrance to park) inside our new ticket booth. Need 2 volunteers. The rest of the volunteers will help with directing traffic in the Rec Center parking lot. When you sign up we will contact the Lead Volunteer to set up a small training.

If your group is from a business or organization, you will be allowed to hand out one pamphlet or brochure about your business or organization at the ticket booth during the night you team volunteers. All handouts must be approved by the Canton Chamber. There will be a sign up that will notify those coming to the lightshow on who is volunteering each night.

If you are a business, this is a great opportunity to offer community involvement to your employees and get your business recognized for the night. If you do not have enough employees, we can team you up with another business.

Other Holiday events that are happening in our area are:

Snowman’s Reindeer Farm – Experience the Magic of Santa’s Reindeeer! Yes, real life reindeer! Must have a appointment to visit. Did we mention Santa is there for pictures, Reindeer Railway train ride, an adorable Jolly Old Elf gift shop and so much more! Open November & December. Go to Snowman’s Reindeer Farm website for more details.

Old Fashioned Christmas Walk and Santa Parade – Canton Main Street will be hosting the annual Old-Fashioned Christmas Walk on Friday, December 1st, from 5:30p.m.-8:00p.m. in Jones Park and the downtown Canton area. Includes carriage rides, trolley ride, smore’s station, dance performances by local Encore Dancers and of course, shopping!

Canton Main Street is excited to be working with the Canton Junior Women’s Club to host the Santa Parade on Friday, December 1st, starting at 5:00 p.m. Returning this year will be the Santa’s House, located in the South Park lot of Jones Park! Santa will be located in his house shortly after the parade for children to visit with him. Also go to Canton Junior Women’s Club Facebook page for Santa’s visiting hours.

Christmas Display of Lights on Enterprise Lane – hosted by BH Materials. Located at 47 Enterprise Lane. Open nightly.

Local Shopping – be sure to plan some time to go shopping at our unique shops and amazing restaurants.

During the pandemic in 2020 it was recommended that families should not gather for the holidays and you could not go anywhere unless you could social distance (and wore a mask). Do you remember? Well, a family in Canton, actually a Father & Son decided to create a lightshow that could be displayed outside in their yard (and side of house) that people could drive up to, watch and enjoy. Everyone stayed in their cars by tuning into a radio frequency to hear the music timed to the lightshow. It was amazing! Known then as the Lindsey Light Show gained great popularity that year, so much so that it created traffic issues in their small neighborhood. So the Canton Chamber approached this son and Dad team to bring the famous Lindsey Light Show to a public location that would be able to handle a larger crowd. This is how the Holiday Lightshow in Canton was created.