Holiday Lights at C.A.L.M.

A holiday tradition in our family! Nothing kick starts our Christmas like going to the Holiday Lights. Every year, they add a little more. Not only is it fun to see all the beautiful lights and ride the train and carousel, it is also great to help out CALM at the same time. If you have a CALM membership, you get to buy discounted tickets. It can get really cold, so it is important to dress in layers. Teen Challenge makes some killer apple dumpling that you can buy. Hot chocolate and kettle corn are also sold along the path which is so nice to enjoy while you can gazing at the lights. Well worth the money spent to get in!

I wanted to end the Year 2015 with my 2015^th Unilocal review so here it is!
Holiday Lights at C.A.L.M. does not disappoint! We are very fortunate to have this impressive holiday lights display in Bakersfield! It is even better than most places in L.A. Was surprised to learn that this is the 13^th year that this show has taken place at CALM. There are over 75 beautiful light displays and more than 3 million lights! WOW!
A great place to take the family especially if you have children! Set aside two hours to take everything in and enjoy. In addition to all the Christmas Holiday lights, there are a couple of cool rides! The Merry-​Go-​Round is fun for folks of all ages. The Candy Cane Express train is a terrific little trip and is very popular!
If you are hungry, then there are snacks available for purchase from Teen Challenge. They make one of the best Peach dumplings and Apple dumplings that I have ever eaten!
Worth the price of admission! All those proceeds go to the California Living Museum (CALM) Zoo! Very worthy cause indeed! Look forward to making a trip here an annual tradition every Christmas time!
Happy New Year!!!

You know, I have lived in Bakersfield since June of 2008 and I have never visited the CALM for Holiday Lights even when my family had a membership. Why? I don’t know honestly other than it just slipped our minds throughout the season I think.
My wife and I brought our two sons, 10 and 15 to check it out and all four of us loved it and if you are in the Bakersfield area you should be attending this phenomenal event too. And I say Bakersfield area a bit loosely because this goes for those who live in Tehachapi, Arvin, Wasco, Shafter, McFarland, Delano, well you get what I“m saying here.
Holiday Lights is an enjoyment for the whole family from kids to teens and adults. And if you are a current CALM member you get a discounted priced too. The whole zoo is decked out in beautiful lights and some interact with the music that is playing over the PA system.
When you do come here, make sure you make your way over to the train. This in itself is a nice little treat, however make sure all of you are dressed very warm because it can be COLD walking around the zoo let alone this train ride.
Holiday Lights is a limited time even so make sure you head over there now!!!

Recently moved to Bakersfield, and I found about this gem by chance. I really wanted to do something christmasy, its a lil far and hidden so dont be scared when driving at night. Ull see the lights right away when you get close. So happy that i convinced the family to go because it was totally worth it ! My relatives that have been locals for a few years had never heard of it. So I was surprised. It does get packed but the crowds seem to come and go. We left within an hour and a half because it got so cold. But we did do all the activities !

We have been going since the get go! Josh Barnett is the whiz behind this Lightasmic show at CALM. He began decorating his grandmother’s and parents’ front yards with tons of lights at a very young age… and later added dancing lights (lights synchronized with music). His little holiday light show at his parents’ front yard became so popular it caused heavy traffic in their neighborhood due to people driving around & stopping to watch his light show! So the following year, he moved his Lightasmic show at Stiers RV… And then later moved it to CALM!
Holidays Lights at CALM with Josh Barnett’s Lightasmic has grown over the years. It’s a great family activity to enjoy during the holidays while giving back to our community at the same time. We go every year and it never gets old! It has become a family tradition for us to take the kids and the whole family! The moment you walk in it gets you in the holiday mood! Lights, music, hot chocolate, kettle corn, dumplings, etc… Santa on site for a photo op… ArtificIal snowfall in certain areas… Train ride to see more lights… And check out the animals who are active at night! This is something great to see and do with family and friends!

My husband and I recently came here to explore the lights show. Given that there isn’t much to see /​do in Bake town during the holidays, this mini excursion to CALM in the evening was much to be desired. We spent a good 1.5 hours here, walking through the light exhibits, and eating some delicious holiday treats /​burgers /​chili. We came on a Sunday night before 6 pm, so it wasn’t that crowded yet. Great for families and children! :) It costs less than going to Disneyland, at only $ 12 per adult.

I took my toodler to see the Christmas lights at around 6 pm. I paid $ 10 for admission and my toddler was free and I received a $ 2 dollar discount for going on Monday. The parking lot was nearly full on this day. Even though I’ve been going for the last three years and nothing much has changed with the exception of more Xmas lights in the parking lot and a Santa Claus tent, I really enjoyed just strolling around and seeing my kid get so excited. The reptile exhibit was nice. At the entance they still have the kid’s carousel. Teen Challenge has a food stand and we ordered one hot apple cider, one apple dumpling and one hot dog for $ 10 and sat on a nearby table to enjoy it as we watched the light and music show. They were selling caramel popcorn, hot chocolate, coffee, hamburgers, fries, etc. The only snag in our trip was waiting to get on the children’s train ride since they had only one train working. Last year I believe they had two trains. The train is for children so it’s small but people don’t cramped in like sardines. I think the wait for the train was almost 1 hour. Good 3 hours of fun and food for $ 20 for two. Buying food from Teen Challenge made me feel good since many years ago I took a tour of their non-​profit facility near Shafter and I was impressed with everything they do for kids to get them off drug dependancy.

Christmas time out here is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. I think even the Grinch would like this place. Their light setup is definitely worth being made a holiday tradition. It usually starts Thanksgiving weekend and goes on until New Years. It gets super packed on those weekend nights during the holidays, but I think there’s a definite reason for it. :) the train is the cutest thing and my favorite part of it all (although the adorable merry go round is a close second and the fake snow soap suds are a roaring third place) There’s something about being snuggled up to your loved ones riding a cute little train driven by a sweet old man train engineer through a Christmas Lights display while listening to Christmas music that makes my heart so warm and toasty. Definitely layer up, wear mittens, bring a scarf, and pack a beanie. It’s not in the city so it can be a couple degrees (or more) colder than in the city. Luckily they sell hot chocolate/​cider and other various hot food items (chili dogs, apple dumplings, etc) to warm you up, in which the proceeds benefit Teen Challenge. Woo hoo for good causes! Definitely find your way out here for the holidays. So many photo ops and memories to be made. Plus the mountain lions (IN THE ZOO HABITAT, not wild ones, this isn’t a dangerous potential Christmas tradition) get really active during the holiday lights — they’re my super favorite at CALM and I’ve seen them come right up to the observation window multiple times while I’ve made it out during the holidays. Just a little side-​fun-​fact. Have fun & stay warm out there, friends! And to alllllllll a good night!

Seriously; 3 million lights! If you’re looking for Holiday spirit in Bako, this is the place! Beautifully lighted displays in several themes throughout the zoo, and lights that dance to music in the central quad. The carousel & train rides are worth the price of admission alone! I’ll be back next year!

This is easily one of the cutest, most fun holiday festivities we have here in Bakersfield. I love the part of town this is located in, first of all. It feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere, which sets the dark scene for all the beautiful, bright lights. There are light displays all over and a lot of the areas are themed. There is a carousel, which is cute for the kids. There is also a really cute train!!! Don’t miss out on the train opportunity. Some of the exhibits have nocturnal animals, so it’s fun watching them while you check out the lights. The owls were especially fun.
This is an ideal activity for a family, a group of friends, and especially awesome for dates! It’s the perfect place to come and enjoy other people’s company, talk, and have fun without technology and stuff getting in the way. I will definitely be back! Plus, you can get a little exercise in walking all over the exhibits. I hope this is around every year for a long time!

Had such a wonderful evening. Enjoyed the stroll through the lights and animations. My all time favorite is the train ride. I will definitely be back one more time before they are safely packed away for next year. Oh and I loved the restored Brock’s animated window display. Such a wonderful touch to see the nutcracker animation from long ago.

The lights are fantastic you have to go my gf and I had a magical time that will last a lifetime

CALM Holiday Lights on a weeknight? Brilliant! There were no lines, the lights were wonderful, the dancing trees made us dance, the carousel and the train were joyous, we got to play with the «design your own light display» and the whole evening brought tremendous holiday joy to our middle aged hearts! Don’t miss the apple and peach dumplings at the teen challenge booth. They may be the best dumplings I’ve ever eaten!

Holiday Lights — you never get old! Stick a million little twinkling lights on trees, bushes and shrubs and you’ve got thousands of people oogling your beauty. Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without Holiday Lights at CALM.
Want to be pro at this Holiday Light thing? Read on for some tips!
1) Buy your tickets in advance at Vallitix. There’s a few dollar discount for advance purchasing, plus you won’t need to wait in line once you get there.
2) Bring a picnic, or at the very least some hot chocolate!
3) Don’t feel like planning ahead? Teen Challenge has a booth and serves up a variety of treats. I highly recommend their apple dumplings!
4) Dress warmly and in layers. Bakersfield can get a little chilly depending on the year and walking around in the dark isn’t exactly warm.
5) Be sure to take a ride on the train, they have the area totally decked out in Christmas lights some even highlighting Bakersfield landmarks.
6) Bring the camera. Seriously — don’t forget it. The lights are simply beautiful and make great family photo backgrounds.
As CALM’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Holiday Lights has made its way into the Bakersfield Christmas tradition. I hope this sticks around for many years to come, it’s greatly benefiting our little local zoo and our community overall.

Stunning light display for Christmas. I cannot review on the zoo aspect being such that I have only been at night. No need for a long review. If you enjoy a nice time with family, lights, and your children. Well worth the entrance fee. Enjoy and look at the pics.