The Grimes Brief

Guide · Holidays

Where to see the lights around Grimes at the holidays.

When it gets dark at five, holiday lights are the whole plan. Grimes has its own kickoff to the season, and the metro's big drive-through display is a short hop away.

The short version

For a big drive-through display, Jolly Holiday Lights is the metro tradition. In town, the Grimes Holiday Celebration in early December kicks off the season with Santa.

In Grimes

The Grimes Holiday Celebration

The City of Grimes hosts a Holiday Celebration on the first Sunday of December, where Santa and Mrs. Claus ride into town on a Johnston-Grimes fire truck. It is the town's cozy kickoff to the season, worth bundling up for.

The big display

Jolly Holiday Lights

Jolly Holiday Lights is the metro's giant drive-through light display, with millions of lights, and it benefits Make-A-Wish Iowa. It runs from late November into early January at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. You stay in your warm car and drive through; confirm the current season's dates and hours before you go.

Catch Des Moines publishes a metro roundup of neighborhood and drive-through displays each December if you want to make a night of it.

What's on, every week

The Grimes Brief carries the seasonal calendar and what's worth your time, free every Monday.

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Sources: City of Grimes community events; Jolly Holiday Lights / Make-A-Wish Iowa; Catch Des Moines. Dates and hours change each season, confirm before you go. Preview build, September 2026.