Your guide to a Christmas lights driving tour in Vernon

VERNON – It’s not Christmas without the dazzle of bright lights around the city, and we’ve found the displays you don’t want to miss this year.

A Christmas lights driving tour is a fun, and best of all free, way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms into another world well worth exploring; glowing reindeer graze in yards and homes shimmer in a rainbow of lights.

Your adventure starts on 30 Avenue, where the trees are festooned with twinkling lights. This is your chance to stop and grab a hot chocolate, coffee or snack at one of the cafes, including Bean Scene, Triumph and the Cracked Pot.

Next, head southbound down Highway 97 and turn onto College Way. You’ll be taking a right on Kick Willie Loop Road. You can’t take a wrong turn in this neighbourhood—offshoots like Fitzmaurice Drive and Lakeview Drive are filled with displays.

When you’ve had your fill, head back on Kick Willie and get back onto College Way. Head through the lights at the Kalamalka Road intersection onto Husband Road. This route will take you up Middleton Mountain, an area brimming with holiday cheer. Explore dead end streets like Sunflower Place and Orchard Ridge Drive before continuing on Husband Drive until you hit Middleton Way. Head right and follow Middleton Way all the way up to the top of the subdivision, or take a left to continue on the tour.

Take Middleton Way across Highway 6 onto 15 Street. Enjoy a pitstop on Pottery Road before continuing on 15 St. Cut over to 16 Street by hanging a quick left on 28 Avenue, then continue up to 32 Avenue.

From there, follow the road down to the roundabout and head north on Pleasant Valley Road for the finale. Pull into the Church of Christ parking lot and watch the house beside it. For a glimpse at what you’ll be seeing, check out the map and video below. Click on the star icons for photos of what to expect. 

We got lots of great reader submissions and have included them on the updated map below with snowflake icons. 

Happy trails.

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To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.