On three December evenings this year, nobody drives the loop of Jessup Lane through Fort Zumwalt Park. Strollers, wagons and wheelchairs take the road instead. At 7:00 and again at 7:45 p.m., fireworks go up over Lake Whetsel for about five minutes each. Santa is there, and O'Fallon nonprofits sell food and holiday gifts along the route.
Those are the Old-Fashioned Holiday Stroll nights, December 6, 7 and 8, 2026. The city holds them in the same park that sees more than 13,000 vehicles over the full run of Celebration of Lights. The city puts the Stroll at about 5,000 people a night. Over three nights, that adds up to more than 15,000 people on foot.
The display runs from November 27 through December 30 and is dark only on Christmas Day. Even so, the most sought-after ways to see it come down to a handful of dates, and the first deadline is Monday, November 2.
One Loop, Five Ways In
The City of O'Fallon sells the same lights in several formats. Each one has its own price, its own nights and its own place to park. Here's the 2026 lineup from the city's Celebration of Lights page.
Format | 2026 price | When | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
Drive-through | $18 car, $40 van, $65 bus | 6–9 p.m. nightly, except car-free nights and Dec. 25 | Your own vehicle on Jessup Lane |
Trolley | $18 admission | Thursday–Sunday at 6, 7 and 8 p.m., except Dec. 6; also Dec. 21–23 | Park at Alligators Creek Aquatic Center, 403 Civic Park Dr. |
Hayride | $165 per wagon, up to 20 riders | Monday–Thursday, except Dec. 7, 8 and 24 | Plackemeier Drive entrance |
City Train | $85 per car, up to five adults and five children | Nov. 30 and Dec. 14 only | Plackemeier Drive entrance |
Holiday Stroll | $10 per person, ages 2 and under free | Dec. 6, 7 and 8, 6–8:30 p.m. | Shuttle from Fort Zumwalt West High School, 1251 Turtle Creek Dr. |
The city asks for specialty ride reservations at least two weeks ahead when possible. It also says the trolley, hayride and train slots tend to fill quickly.
The Five Nights the Cars Stay Out
Celebration of Lights is closed to vehicles on November 30 and on December 6, 7, 8 and 14. The entire display is closed on Christmas Day.
Two of those dates follow from the train schedule. November 30 and December 14 are Mondays, and they're the only nights the City Train runs. Time slots start every half hour from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. Each train car holds up to ten people for $85, so on a train night a group pays by the car, the same way a family does in the drive-through line. Two households can share one car and see the display at a slow pace, with no driver watching the bumper ahead.
The other three dates belong to the Holiday Stroll. On those nights the city hands the loop over to pedestrians. Specialty rides don't run, and the only parking is at Fort Zumwalt West High School, with a free shuttle to the park. The Stroll goes on rain or shine. The city welcomes strollers, wagons, walkers and wheelchairs, but doesn't allow pets other than service dogs, hoverboards, kids' scooters, bikes or skateboards.
Walking also gets around two rules that come with the drive-through. Drivers may not leave their vehicles for any reason, including photos, and there are no restrooms on drive-through nights. The car-free nights are the only time you can stop in front of a scene for as long as you like.
Monday Decides the Walk-Through Nights
Stroll tickets go on sale Monday, November 2, according to the event details on the city's Holiday Stroll page. The FAQ on that same page says sales begin November 3, so check the page on both days. A banner at the top of the page also says dates, times and prices may still change for 2026.
The Stroll ticket rules are stricter than the drive-through rules, so it helps to know them before you buy.
- Tickets are good for one night only. A Monday ticket works only on Monday, December 7.
- All sales are final. Stroll tickets can't be refunded or transferred, and that includes any tickets in an order you don't use.
- Buy in advance or not at all. Nothing is sold at the gate for any Celebration of Lights format.
- Watch for the right email. Drive-through, trolley and Stroll tickets come from [email protected] with the subject line "Registration Confirmation to City of O'Fallon." Train and hayride confirmations come from [email protected] as a "RecTrac Receipt."
Tickets from 2025 aren't valid this year.
Drive-through tickets work the other way. You buy one ahead of time and use it on almost any open evening through December 30, with no reservation needed. The city page doesn't list an on-sale date for drive-through tickets. Because those tickets aren't tied to a date, there's no rush to buy them on day one the way there is for the Stroll.
What the Drive-Through Costs in Time and Money
For a family of four, the Stroll costs $40 and a car pass costs $18. The bigger difference is time. On the busiest nights, Fridays and Saturdays, the city says the wait plus the drive can take 60 to 90 minutes. The display opens at 6 p.m. every evening, however early it gets dark. The city's FAQ links the wait to the night of the week, so a Tuesday or Wednesday visit is the simplest way to cut down the line.
Prices have gone up a little. KMOV's 2024 listing had a car at $16 and a Stroll ticket at $8. For 2026 the city lists $18 and $10. Longtime visitors may remember when it cost much less to walk. A 2011 O'Fallon Patch article listed walk-through admission at $2 per person.
One drive-through rule regularly surprises families with pickups. No one may ride in the truck bed, because Jessup Lane is a City street and riding in a truck bed is illegal on any City street.
The Park Under the Lights
The scenes have been part of Fort Zumwalt Park since 1991, and the city says local organizations, churches and businesses design and pay for each one. The park covers 48 acres. Lake Whetsel, the 3.5-acre lake behind the Stroll fireworks, was created in the 1970s by damming a spring. The Heald Home and Zumwalt's Fort, the historic site the park is named for, sit on its west side.
On regular days the park is open from dawn to dusk. Special events like this one are the exception. If you know the park from summer afternoons, a car-free December night is the one time you can walk past the lake and the fort after dark.
November Gets Things Started
The city has two events on the calendar before the lights come on:
- Tree Lighting Ceremony, Wednesday, November 18, 6–8 p.m., at the Municipal Centre. It includes Santa and Mrs. Claus, crafts, train rides, Beverly Ann's Cookie Truck and Travelin' Tom's Coffee.
- Holiday Sip & Shop, Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., at Krekel Civic Center. The city lists it as a brand-new event. Food and drinks come from Dirty Pop, On The Rocks Beverage Company and Philly Pretzel Factory, with acoustic music by Samuel Whittington.
Celebration of Lights opens six days after the Sip & Shop, on Friday, November 27. It's the first night in a stretch where the train, Stroll and Christmas Day dates break up the regular schedule. If you want to walk, the real start date is Monday, November 2, when Stroll tickets go on sale and the three walk-through nights begin to fill.
If you're already picking your Stroll night, the Cheri Norton Team would love to hear which scene your family stops at first. We've lived in and served St. Charles County for decades, and Fort Zumwalt Park in December is a big part of what makes this place home. If you're thinking about what your own O'Fallon home is worth before the new year, Cheri Norton can put together a free home valuation for you, with no pressure and plenty of local perspective.
