Manheim Township is listed this year as a participating municipality in Lights of Lancaster. It's a free, self-guided driving tour of decorated homes, run with the cooperation of municipalities across the county. In its first season, the tour didn't come anywhere near Neffsville or Lititz Pike. Lights of Lancaster's route is built from homes whose owners sign them up. Registration closes Nov. 30, and the tour opens Dec. 5.
Township homeowners have until Nov. 30 to sign up. As of early November, the registration form's municipality menu didn't include Manheim Township.
From Five Western Municipalities to Eleven
The program started in 2025 on the other side of the county. Millersville Borough announced it in October 2025 with Manor, East Hempfield and West Hempfield townships and Mountville Borough as the other partners. Registration opened Nov. 1 that year, and tours began Dec. 1. LNP | LancasterOnline called it a new home tour that season and quoted Manor Township manager J. Ryan Strohecker on its purpose: "to showcase homes that have been decorated for the holidays, and give people an opportunity to get out and see these homes."
For 2026, the Lights of Lancaster homepage lists 11 municipalities: East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Lancaster Township, Lititz Borough, Manheim Township, Manor, Millersville, Mountville, Warwick, West Hempfield and West Lampeter. That growth brings the tour north and east. Manheim Township, Lititz and Warwick now border one another on the tour map.
Lititz also brings an older tradition with it. The registration form labels the borough "Lititz (formerly Laurel Avenue Lights)," a reference to the Christmas display on Laurel Avenue that drew visitors for years. On its own event calendar, Lititz describes the program as a municipality-led effort. Participating municipalities, including Warwick Township, have committed to encouraging residents to take part.
What the Form Shows Right Now
On Sept. 30, Manheim Township posted a news item about the program. It sends homeowners to LightsofLancaster.net to register and describes the event as free for both participants and visitors.
On the registration page, the required municipality menu as of early November had 11 choices. Those were East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Lancaster Township, Lititz, Manor, Millersville, Mount Joy Borough, Mountville, Warwick, West Hempfield and West Lampeter. Mount Joy Borough is on the form but not on the homepage. Manheim Township is on the homepage but not on the form.
The form also has a free-text comments box, along with required fields for street address, city and ZIP code. If the menu still leaves out the township when you register, the comments box is the obvious place to note that your home is in Manheim Township. Before you submit, take a quick look at whether the menu has been updated.
What the Program Says It's Looking For
The registration page is clear about what it wants. It asks for displays that "stand out from a typical Christmas display," and it lists four questions to help homeowners decide. The last one sets the bar:
"Would someone make a special trip to see my display? If your home is one that neighbors, friends, or families regularly talk about or visit during the Christmas season, it may be a perfect fit for Lights of Lancaster."
The Lights of Lancaster registration page also says a display "doesn't have to be the biggest or brightest." It names thousands of lights, inflatables, traditional plastic molds, synchronized music and handmade decorations as all welcome, and it asks whether the house and the lawn work together as one display.
The form asks one practical question: is there enough room for cars and people to stop and look without creating a safety hazard? It also requires a photo that clearly shows the lights and decorations, since judges and visitors use it to see what makes the stop worthwhile. In township neighborhoods with wide frontage and quiet cul-de-sacs, the safety question is easy to answer. On a busy stretch of Lititz Pike or Oregon Pike, it's harder.
Each designated tour includes about 15 homes and takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half to drive. Visitors drive the full route, pick a favorite and vote at the end, one vote per household. First place wins $300, second $200 and third $100.
Two Ways to See Lights, Eight Days Apart
The free tour is the newer of the two big local options. The other is the ticketed Christmas Spirit Light Show at Penn Medicine Park on North Prince Street in Lancaster city, and it starts first.
| Lights of Lancaster | Christmas Spirit Light Show | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens | Dec. 5 | Nov. 27 |
| Format | Self-guided drive past about 15 homes per tour | Drive-through display at the ballpark |
| Time per visit | About 1 to 1.5 hours per tour | Evening hours, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sun.–Thu., 5:30 to 10 p.m. Fri.–Sat. |
| Cost | Free | $25 per vehicle up to eight passengers, $35 for nine or more, $75 season pass |
| Voting | One vote per household, cash prizes for homeowners | Christmas Tree Lane, $2 per vote to each tree's nonprofit |
Buying ballpark tickets online adds fees. That brings the vehicle tickets to $27.38 and $37.89 and the season pass to $79.91. According to the Penn Medicine Park event page, Christmas Tree Lane is a walk-through with more than 100 trees. Each tree raises money for a nonprofit chosen by its sponsor, and all of the $2-per-vote proceeds go to that nonprofit. The park is also adding new Ride and Slide attractions this year.
Both events let visitors vote, but the money goes to different places. At the ballpark, votes raise money for nonprofits. On the home tour, votes decide which local households win the prizes.
The Season, Date by Date
- Now through Nov. 30: Lights of Lancaster homeowner registration is open. It opened Nov. 1.
- Nov. 27: The Christmas Spirit Light Show opens at Penn Medicine Park.
- Nov. 30 to Dec. 2: The ballpark is closed for three nights. Lights of Lancaster registration also closes Nov. 30.
- Dec. 3 and 4: Christmas Tree Lane opens to the public with a soft opening Thursday, Dec. 3, followed by its grand opening night Friday, Dec. 4.
- Dec. 5: The Lights of Lancaster tours open.
- Dec. 31: Last night of the ballpark light show. Lititz's event calendar also lists Lights of Lancaster through Dec. 31.
Through Dec. 4, the lights on this calendar are all at the ballpark. The free home tour starts on Saturday, Dec. 5, so the first weekend of the month is the first chance to drive the township's own route.
Dinner on Lititz Pike Before the Drive
The Lititz Pike corridor added a new place this fall that fits around an evening drive. Grotto Pizza, the Delaware-based chain known for its circular swirl of sauce on top, opened its first Lancaster County location at 1525 Lititz Pike on Sept. 15. FOX43 covered the opening. LNP | LancasterOnline described it as a 4,900-square-foot restaurant and sports bar in the Shoppes at the Point, offering dine-in and carryout.
Grotto's location page lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On a weeknight, the ballpark show closes at 9 p.m. and Grotto's kitchen stays open an hour longer. A tour of about 15 homes takes roughly an hour to an hour and a half, which leaves time for an early dinner at 1525 Lititz Pike before dark.
Holiday lighting says something about a house, and sellers who list in December often ask how to photograph it. If your display is going on the Lights of Lancaster tour this year and you're thinking about a move in 2027, Josh Wood can talk through when to photograph a decorated house and how to use those images in a listing later. Schedule a Private Consultation before the lights go up.
