Lights 2026 · Bakersfield

Christmas lights in Bakersfield for little kids, picked for early bedtimes.

Three Christmas light displays in and around Bakersfield have 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru and 2 walk-throughs. None are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 5:30 p.m. at Bakersfield Christmas Town. One more ran last season but hasn’t posted 2026 dates yet. They’re in Bakersfield and Delano.

3displays with dates
1drive-thru
0free
5:30 pmearliest evening start

Last checked · How we choose

All 3 displays

Pick tonight’s lights

Tap a filter to narrow it down. Every card has hours, price and what it’s like with a little one.

Walk-through

Bakersfield Christmas Town

Kern County Fairgrounds (walk-through parking at Gate 31, drive-thru at Gate 28) · Kern County Fairgrounds, off Belle Terrace east of P St., Bakersfield, CA

Walk-throughSanta too
When
Nightly Nov 27, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027 (walk-through closed Dec 24–25; drive-thru open)
Earliest start
5:30 p.m.
Price
Walk-through $25 on green days, $30 on red days; drive-thru $30–$40 per vehicle; 2 and under free; parking $5
  • Sun–Thu 5:30–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 5:30–10 p.m.
  • A walk-through with a hayride that loops most of the drive-thru, and Santa in his cottage every night
  • Free photos with Santa on your own camera
  • Mon–Thu nights are the least crowded

Little-kid take: Opens at 5:30 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 30 on the official page · Source

Report a problem
Drive-thru

Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights

Kern Raceway · 13500 Raceway Blvd., Bakersfield, CA 93311

Drive-thru
When
Most nights Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 (closed some Mondays and Tuesdays; see the calendar)
Earliest start
5:30 p.m.
Price
Per vehicle: $30 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun online; $10 more at the gate
  • Gates 5:30–9:30 p.m.
  • Stay in the car and tune to the posted FM station for the music
  • Gate sales depend on space, so buying ahead is safer

Little-kid take: Stays in the car: the easiest pick with a baby or a toddler who may fall asleep. PJs on, car seat buckled, no stroller needed.

Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 30 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Delano Light the Night

Central Park · Central Park, Delano, CA

Walk-throughSanta too
When
Nov 28, 2026 through January
Earliest start
17:00
Price
See the event site
  • Evenings; see the event calendar for each weekend's activities
  • Delano's Central Park is lit up for the season, with Santa visits, caroling, cocoa and themed nights on weekends
Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 30 on the official page

Report a problem
Dates not posted yet
  • CALM HolidayLights · CALM Zoo Dates not posted yet — check the official page (calmholidaylights.org).

It ran last season. We’ll add it when 2026 dates go up.

Nov 1 – Jan 3

When each one is open

Nothing is lit yet. Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights opens first, on Nov 20. Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights and Bakersfield Christmas Town run into the new year.

Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights Nov 20 – Jan 3
Bakersfield Christmas Town Nov 27 – Jan 2
Delano Light the Night Nov 28 on
Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1
Early bedtime plan

Lights before bedtime

In early December the sun sets around 4:45 p.m. in Bakersfield (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.

Bakersfield Christmas Town

5:30 p.m. start · plan about an hour

5:30 p.m.

Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights

5:30 p.m. start · plan about an hour

5:30 p.m.

Drive-thru or walk-through?

Which is better for little kids?

🚗 Stay in the car

  • Babies and toddlers stay warm and buckled, PJs and all
  • No stroller, no mitten battles, no lost hats
  • A car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime
  • Check the listing for timed slots and refund rules

Pick: Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights

🚶 Get out and walk

  • Kids 3 and up love running ahead to the next display
  • Bring the stroller where the venue allows it (see each card)
  • Plan a snack stop and a bathroom break
  • Check sensory notes for bright lights and crowds

Picks: Bakersfield Christmas Town, Delano Light the Night

Bring along

The little-kid lights kit

Mittens on a stringLittle hands get cold fast after dark.
Warm drink in a thermosA treat to look forward to at the halfway point.
Hat and a blanketFor the stroller, or the car once the heat is off.
PJs before you goSo a car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime.
2026 prices

Prices at a glance

From each venue’s own page. Check whether a price is per car or per person before you book.

DisplayPriceLittle kidsGood to know
Bakersfield Christmas TownWalk-through $25 on green days, $30 on red days; drive-thru $30–$40 per vehicle; 2 and under free; parking $52 and under freeWalk-through
Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru LightsPer vehicle: $30 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun online; $10 more at the gateSee the venueDrive-thru
Delano Light the NightSee the event siteSee the venueWalk-through
Also this season

Want Santa with your lights?

See all 3 Santa outings in and around Bakersfield: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.

Santa in Bakersfield →
Good questions

Christmas lights in Bakersfield: questions parents ask

Are there free Christmas lights in Bakersfield?

None of the light shows with 2026 dates that we found are free. The lowest prices are listed in “2026 prices at a glance”.

What’s the cheapest Christmas light show in Bakersfield?

Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Bakersfield Christmas Town (Walk-through $25 on green days, $30 on red days; drive-thru $30–$40 per vehicle; 2 and under free; parking $5); Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights (Per vehicle: $30 Mon–Thu, $40 Fri–Sun online; $10 more at the gate). Check whether a price is per car or per person before you compare.

Drive-thru or walk-through: which is better with little kids?

With a baby or a sleepy toddler, a drive-thru is easiest: they stay buckled in and warm. One of the 3 displays can be driven: Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights. Walk-throughs (two here) are better for kids who want to run around.

What time do the Christmas lights start in Bakersfield? We have an early bedtime.

The earliest evening starts: Bakersfield Christmas Town at 5:30 p.m. and Bakersfield Christmas Magic Drive-Thru Lights at 5:30 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.

Which light shows are best for kids under 3?

Little ones get in free at Bakersfield Christmas Town (2 and under free). With a baby, a drive-thru keeps everyone warm in the car.

How do you check these Christmas lights listings?

Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page, and links to it. We list dates, times and prices only when that page shows them for 2026; anything without posted dates goes in “Dates not posted yet” instead. These were last checked Oct 30, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Keep planning: This week in Bakersfield · Bakersfield city guide · Visiting Bakersfield

Get the weekend plan, holiday dates included.

One short email every Thursday evening with what works for ages 0–6 in Bakersfield that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.

By month

More dates for little kids in Bakersfield

Things to do with kids in Bakersfield in November · Things to do with kids in Bakersfield in December