When I was a kid, the holidays didn’t officially begin until my grandparents loaded us into the camper and drove to Christmas Tree Lane — a neighborhood that transformed into a universe of color as every house on the block synchronized its holiday-themed lights. Trees strung with blinking bulbs. Porches wrapped in garlands. Plastic Santas with reindeer locked in mid-flight over glowing rooftops.
Ours was among a long, creeping lane of vehicles, children packed into the backs of station wagons, hatchbacks, and open truck beds — pointing, gasping, wide-eyed as the magic of the holidays came alive in lights. Inevitably, Grandpa would cap the night with the same comment every year: “I know their electricity bill is sky high.”
As it turns out, utilities across the country play a much bigger role in keeping the magic of the holiday season alive than most people realize. From massive botanical gardens wrapped in LEDs to citywide tree lightings and drive-through wonderlands powered entirely by green energy, utility companies and their foundations are some of the biggest supporters of holiday cheer.
Here are seven utility companies powering traditions and lighting up holiday seasons across America.
Reliant Lights Your Holidays — Texas
Utility: Reliant Energy
Texas doesn’t do anything small — and holiday light shows are no exception. Reliant Energy is behind some of the state’s biggest seasonal attractions, including the McAllen South Pole Illuminated Festival. Imagine millions of LED lights, towering displays, and the tallest digital Christmas tree in America.
But there’s something else happening beneath the sparkle: Reliant uses these events as a living demonstration of how far efficiency technology has come. LEDs once seemed like a novelty; today, they’re the backbone of every large-scale, energy-conscious holiday display. Through interactive exhibits and on-site education, Reliant helps families understand how to replicate that efficiency at home — without dimming the magic.
We Energies Holiday Displays — Wisconsin
Utility: We Energies Foundation
In Milwaukee and its surrounding communities, We Energies has become synonymous with holiday tradition. The utility’s foundation sponsors everything from animal-themed light installations at the Milwaukee County Zoo to the beloved "Walk of Lights" in Waukesha. Their displays are whimsical — penguins sliding across icy hills, giraffes made of golden wire — but they also carry a deeper message: utilities are not just grid operators. They’re cultural institutions.
In many Midwest towns, trust in local utilities is built in moments like these — when the company that keeps your lights on also gives your community something to celebrate.
Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens — Kansas City, MO
Utility: Evergy
Every winter, Kansas City’s botanical garden becomes a glowing outdoor museum thanks to Evergy’s title sponsorship. Visitors walk illuminated paths that wind through trees, sculptures, and architectural features dressed in color.
Evergy’s involvement isn’t just about aesthetics. The utility uses the festival as a platform to highlight how LED adoption, smart metering, and modern lighting systems reduce load during peak winter usage. It’s a gentle reminder that beauty can be energy-smart — and that the future grid depends on communities embracing those choices.
Luminate Lexington — Kentucky
Utility: Kentucky Utilities
If you’ve ever wanted to see a city center transformed into a holiday card, visit Lexington in December. Kentucky Utilities presents “Luminate Lexington,” anchoring the season with the official lighting of the city’s Christmas tree and its Hanukkah Menorah.
What’s striking is the symbolism: the utility isn’t just behind the scenes — it’s standing beside community and faith leaders at the literal heart of the city. In an era when national trust in institutions is shifting, these kinds of public, visible partnerships help utilities remain part of the social fabric.
Tallahassee Winter Festival & Nighttime Parade — Florida
Utility: City of Tallahassee Utilities
Tallahassee’s Winter Festival draws thousands each year, and at the center of it is the nighttime holiday parade — illuminated start to finish by the city’s municipal utility. Bands, dancers, floats, and community groups weave through the downtown corridor under strings of overhead lights powered by the same grid that keeps the city running year-round.
Events like this blur the line between infrastructure and identity: municipal utilities don’t just power a city; they express its character. And when the lights come on for the first float, residents feel that connection in real time.
Santee Cooper’s “Celebrate the Season” — South Carolina
Utility: Santee Cooper
Imagine driving through miles of holiday lights powered entirely by renewable energy. That’s "Celebrate the Season," a holiday lights tour illuminated by 100% Santee Cooper Green Power — energy generated from environmentally friendly sources.
This isn’t just festive; it’s a statement. In a sector racing to cut emissions, the idea that a full-scale holiday attraction can run on clean energy offers a hopeful glimpse into what the future of public celebrations could look like. Families come for the lights — and leave with a new picture of what the clean-energy transition means in practice.
LADWP Holiday Light Festival — Los Angeles, CA
Utility: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
For years, LADWP sponsored one of the largest holiday light festivals in Southern California — a massive drive-through spectacle that drew crowds from every corner of the city. When the utility shifted the event to walking-only nights to reduce energy use and traffic congestion, it sent a clear message: holiday joy can evolve with the grid.
This spirit of adaptation — honoring tradition while embracing sustainability — is becoming a defining feature of utility-sponsored celebrations across the country.
The holiday season may sparkle with lights, but keeping those traditions alive takes more than decorations. Utilities provide the power — and often the partnership — that makes many of these beloved displays possible.
