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The 14th annual Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families opens Thanksgiving evening at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with nearly four million lights.
LOUDON, N.H. – The 2.5-mile drive-thru light show that’s become a New England family tradition is back at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) shining brighter than ever with new displays and nearly 500,000 more lights for its 14th holiday season. Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families will spread 39 nights of holiday cheer while fundraising for the local community from Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 through Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
“Watching this property light up even brighter this holiday season is simply magical,” said New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager David McGrath. “It’s heartwarming to see families from all over New England come to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to get in the holiday spirit together and help those in need around the community.”
What’s New This Year?
More lights! Winterland, the company that operates Gift of Lights, has added nearly 500,000 more lights at NHMS this season for a total of nearly four million twinkling lights in more than 500 displays across more than 80 different scenes.
New displays and scenes! Families can drive through the 130-foot infield tunnel that has been upgraded to an RGB tunnel this year and take a trip “Around the World” enjoying well-known landmarks such as Big Ben, Easter Island, the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mount Rushmore, Taj Mahal and more throughout the infield. There will also be dinosaurs roaming around, and the infamous Grinch will be stealing Christmas items throughout the NHMS property.
Season pass! If one visit isn’t enough, attendees can now purchase a $95 season pass, which allows unlimited visits this season for up to two vehicles.
Visit with Santa Claus
Santa Claus will roll into Loudon in style aboard the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan making a special stop at Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families on Saturday, Dec. 21 from 6-8:30 p.m. Kids can visit with St. Nick to get their last-minute gift requests in and bring home a free keepsake photo.
Helping the Community
Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families benefits NHMS’s official charity, the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCCNH), which supports children in need throughout New England, in a few ways:
- Families can purchase $3 s’more kits at the food truck at the end of the Gift of Lights route and roast them on the open fire pits. All proceeds will go to SCCNH.
- Register for the Yule Light Up the Night 2.1-mile fun run/walk to experience the dazzling Christmas light displays on foot on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. A portion of race registration proceeds will benefit SCCNH.
- A portion of proceeds from event admissions will go straight to SCCNH.
SCCNH has raised $451,148 from Gift of Lights since 2011 and has donated more than $2.25 million to deserving regional charities supporting more than 1.4 million children since 2009.
Attendees are encouraged to bring three or more non-perishable food items for the Loudon Food Pantry to save $3 off single-vehicle admission purchased on site. Since 2011, event attendees have donated nearly 105,000 pounds of food totaling nearly 98,000 meals for local families in need during the winter months.
Theme Nights
Attendees can save $5 off single-vehicle admission purchased on site by participating in theme nights:
- Dec. 2 | PJ Night – Wear your coziest Christmas pajamas.
- Dec. 3 | Community Tuesday – Attend Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families on Giving Tuesday.
- Dec. 4 | Pet Night – Bring your pet to enjoy the lights.
- Dec. 11 | Christmas Sweater Night – Wear your craziest Christmas sweater.
On Military Mondays, Dec 2 and 9, active military members and veterans can enjoy Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families for only $5 with valid military ID.
Tickets and Hours of Operation:
Gift of Lights presented by Ambetter from NH Healthy Families opens at 4:30 p.m. nightly, depending on the weather. All traffic must enter through NHMS’s South Entrance. Admission is available for purchase online at NHMS.com or at NHMS for $35 per car or $60 per bus, limousine or RV (add $2 per person for vehicles containing more than 15 guests).
Follow Us:
Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), Twitter (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.
