"After 20 seasons of holiday magic, Hershey Sweet Lights will not return in 2026 as we focus on growing Hersheypark Christmas Candylane." That was Hersheypark's statement in early September, as reported by The Sun. The drive-through opened in 2005 on the land between Route 39 and Sand Beach Road. It covered two miles with more than 500 light displays.
This year, Hershey's holiday lights sit behind a ticket booth or a museum door, and you see them on foot. For anyone in Derry Township planning November and December, how you get in now matters as much as the dates.
Candylane is where the drive-through's budget went
Hersheypark said outright that retiring Sweet Lights was about growing Christmas Candylane. The 2026 Candylane runs select dates from Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, according to The Sun and PennLive. ABC27's first report gave Nov. 12 as the start, but the later reports and the park's own announcement use Nov. 13. Here's what's new this year, according to The Sun's report and ABC27:
- A Fire & Ice Experience, which the park describes as "icy lights and blazing flames"
- Holiday cars and displays on the Twin Turnpike
- A holiday soundtrack on Holly Jolly Laff Trakk
- A holiday open house in the Estate of Evil, the Dark Nights haunted house, where ABC27 says visitors can see how staff decorated the rooms "with terrifying holiday flair"
PennLive adds that TREEville is getting enhancements. The regulars are back too: more than 5 million lights, Santa with all nine reindeer, a holiday show in the Music Box Theatre and select holiday rides.
The Sweet Lights news followed another Hersheypark retirement. Tidal Force, the 32-year-old Boardwalk flume with a 100-foot incline, made its last splash on Labor Day. As of The Sun's report, the park hadn't said what will replace it.
For passholders, the light show is already paid for
Moving the lights inside the park changes how people get to see them. Hersheypark's season pass page lists unlimited 2026 Christmas Candylane visits and free parking for passholders. Giant Size, King Size and Full Size holders also get invites to passholder-only Candylane events. A household thinking about 2027 passes has a timing reason to buy early. A new 2027 Full, King or Giant Size pass also covers the rest of the 2026 Candylane season, with free parking.
Without a pass, the park's ticket page is advertising a Family 4-Pack at $57 per person. It includes four admission tickets, free parking and ZooAmerica, and it's good any day through Jan. 3, 2027. Taxes and fees are extra. Sweet Lights was a single family trip in one car. Candylane works best for households that will go back more than once.
Before the lights, one more weekend of coasters
You can visit the park before the holiday season starts. Hersheypark added a bonus Fall Weekend on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, from noon to 8 p.m. More than 40 rides are slated to run, including six coasters, weather and maintenance permitting. Dining and ZooAmerica are part of the weekend, but ZooAmerica closes at 4:30 p.m. Plan the animals first and the rides after dark.
That weekend falls five days before Candylane opens on Nov. 13. Passholders can visit back to back without paying for parking.
The rest of town lights up on foot
Away from the park, Hershey's holiday stops are walk-through, mostly indoors and mostly daytime. Most come with an admission ticket or membership. Here's the 2026 lineup in order:
| Stop | 2026 dates | How you get in |
|---|---|---|
| Hersheypark Christmas Candylane | Select dates, Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027 | Park admission or season pass |
| Hershey Gardens Christmas Tree Showcase | Nov. 20 to Jan. 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Included with admission, free for members |
| Hershey History Center Holiday Train Show | Nov. 27 to Dec. 30 | Included with museum entrance |
| The Hershey Story Whimsical Winter Crafts | Saturdays Dec. 5, 12 and 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free with admission, free for members |
| The Hershey Story Snowball Saturdays | Saturdays Dec. 12 and 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free activities; Chocolate Lab classes ticketed |
| HERSHEY'S Chocolate World Holiday Chocolate House | November and December | During operating hours |
Each stop has a detail worth knowing before you go.
The Hershey Gardens showcase has lit trees, holiday decorations in the Butterfly Atrium and the historic Comet coaster car set up for photos. That gives you a piece of the park without a park ticket.
The Holiday Train Show is at the Hershey History Center, 40 Northeast Drive, and runs on a limited schedule. Extended hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last train admission is 3:45 p.m., and the display closes at 4 p.m. sharp. Museum entrance also covers the Chocolate Town Special.
At The Hershey Story, Snowball Saturdays bring indoor snowball activities, a snowman visit and winter-themed Chocolate Lab creations. The activities outside the Lab are free, and Lab classes need a ticket. For the crafts, posted museum admission is $16.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors and $12.50 for juniors.
At Chocolate World, Breakfast with Santa runs weekend mornings from Nov. 14 through Dec. 20, 7 to 9 a.m., and is already listed as sold out. Its price was $54.95 for adults and $34.95 for ages 2 to 12. As of this writing, Santa photos and the Holly Jolly Trolley still say to check back for 2026 dates.
The outdoor option downtown is the Downtown Hershey Association's Holiday Celebration. It's listed for ChocolateTown Square Park on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. The listing doesn't print a year, so confirm it on the association's page before you plan around it.
The evening calendar runs through Hershey Theatre and the GIANT Center
Sweet Lights was a nighttime trip. Without it, most of Hershey's December evenings now happen in a theater seat or an arena. Hershey Theatre's holiday lineup:
- Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Nov. 10 to 15
- Hershey Symphony's Sounds of the Season, Dec. 5
- Straight No Chaser, Dec. 6
- The Nutcracker, Dec. 19 and 20
- Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
Down the road, the GIANT Center has for KING + COUNTRY on Nov. 21 and Christmas Together with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans on Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays Dec. 18. Hershey Bears home games in the same stretch are Nov. 25 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Dec. 5 against Lehigh Valley, Dec. 19 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton again and Dec. 30 against Rochester, per the Hershey Harrisburg events calendar.
Dec. 5 is the busiest night of the season. The symphony and a Bears game both fall on that Saturday, and the downtown celebration may too if its listing holds for 2026. Plan for traffic around Chocolate Avenue and the arena.
If the car ride was the tradition
Some households liked Sweet Lights because it was a drive. Kids stayed in pajamas, the heater ran and nobody needed a ticket for each person. That version of the season now means leaving Derry Township.
The Christmas Spirit Light Show at Penn Medicine Park, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster, runs Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, 2026. Hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It charges by the car: $25 per vehicle for up to eight passengers, $35 for nine or more, or $75 for a season pass. There's also a free walk-through Christmas Tree Lane.
Closer to home, Discover Lancaster lists a drive-through at Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown, from Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 2, 2027. Hours, pricing and the entrance address weren't settled in the listings, so check with the estate before you load up the car.
If Hershey's walkable holiday stops have you thinking about where your own home sits on the map, or what it might be worth this winter, Michael Orta and the team can tell you. Get your free home valuation and see where your house stands before the new year.
