After 13 years, the curtain is coming down next weekend on Lake Compounce’s Holiday Lights show — and with it will go the chance to experience the theme park in the winter.
When the spectacular display of more than 700,000 lights and Santa-themed activities debuted in 2012, it was also billed as a way to enjoy games and rides long after the traditional season was over.
But that ends after Holiday Lights goes dark on Dec. 28: The park’s newly released 2026 calendar shows Nov. 1 will be the final operating day of the season.
Not surprisingly, social media posts by park-goers have generally been negative about the cancelation since it was announced in early August.
“Truly sad to hear this as it was always a rather simple but memorable and beautiful event,” Billy Hook wrote on the Lake Compounce Fan Club page on Facebook. “Something different to do in December. Also one of only a handful in this area.”
Anthony Thibeault, a long-time Lake Compounce visitor, agreed.
“Lake Compounce should not get rid of it. It’s for the kids and family fun,” Thibeault told The Courant on Friday. “Now with malls closing where can you bring kids to see Santa Claus? It’s a Christmas tradition at Lake Compounce and family friendly.”
Thibeault, a Southington resident, said he’s been going every weekend to enjoy the last shows. But many park fans speculate that Holiday Lights’ attendance overall has been poor enough that new park owner Herschend Family Entertainment is cutting it to save money.
Lake Compounce doesn’t publicly release attendance figures; a spokeswoman said 2025 overall was a strong year, but didn’t offer specifics.
When asked if it’s possible that Holiday Lights would return in a future year, Marketing Director Meg Forno replied “We continue to evaluate our event offerings each season and look forward to sharing more about future additions to our lineup.”
When Lake Compounce posted its 2026 schedule on Wednesday, two people quickly posted comments urging that Holiday Lights get renewed. The park didn’t respond.
Just last year the show was a finalist in USA Today’s list of top holiday events at U.S. theme parks. But soon after Herschend bought Lake Compounce and other parks from Palace Entertainment in March, the announcement came that this was the show’s final year. Herschend is keeping a similar show at Kennywood in Pennsylvania alive for at least another year, and it was listed this month on the current USA Today list.
While some fans are complaining and warning they’ll reconsider buying new season passes, a few have been defending the decision, saying it simply reflects business realities.
Others have been posting kudos to Lake Compounce for providing advance notice. They pointed out that Six Flags in New Jersey waited until July to advise fans — including season passholders — that there would be no Holiday in the Park show this year. Closer to Connecticut, Six Flags New England did away with its holiday lights show back in 2022.
Theme Park Insider noted two years ago that numerous parks have been eliminating their winter seasons because of rising costs and stagnant or declining attendance. Staffing is problematic because college students mostly aren’t available, and season expenses such as snow shoveling and ice salting can be substantial.
The pressure is particularly acute in the North because harsh weather in late autumn or early winter can wipe out several weekends of holiday season openings, leaving little or no profit after an extensive investment of work. Even in the best times, Holiday Lights didn’t draw the huge crowds that Fall Frightfest, the Halloween show, does.
Lake Compounce designed Holiday Lights as a family event heavily skewed toward younger children, with kiddie rides, a meet-and-greet with Santa and North Pole-themed crafts as the key attractions. The thrill rides that attract teens remain closed after Frightfest, and the park had said popular coasters like Boulder Dash don’t operate properly in severe cold.
Depending on the weather, visitors got to enjoy sip hot chocolate, walk past snow-covered game booths and water park slides, and perhaps take a chilly ride on the carousel or the C.P. Harrington narrow-gauge train.
Before 2012, America’s oldest continuously operating amusement park strictly observed the New England tradition that summer-focused outdoor activities end around Halloween at latest. The 2026 calendar indicates that pattern will resume next year.
Forno said it’s too early to know what, if anything, might replace Holiday Lights.
“We are currently focused on evolving our event lineup and exploring new ways to create meaningful guest experiences in the future as we continue to elevate the park’s core experiences,” she said in an email.