Symphony of Lights

It was a great time we had a lot of fun will definitely go back next year

$ 20 a PERSON for New Years Eve — biggest rip off EVER! I really wish I had read these reviews before I went last night. I suppose since we got to walk through the display instead of drive, they gouge you even more. As others have said, a huge section of lights were out, there were no directions and it was so dark, I found myself tripping over uneven ground. I saw many people sneak in — very easy to do since you are walking through, but my guilt got the better of me and I paid. I just kept thinking, we paid $ 40 for this lame display. We could have had a nice meal for that price.

Great experience and really worth every penny! We used a Groupon for the show. I hear you can walk through it but they may be doing the most. Planning to go back and take a few pics.

Went here for the first time last night because we had a $ 5 off coupon. I was super excited about this experience but there wasn’t much to see. The staff up front were pretty lame and all they did was take our money. No directions whatsoever were relayed to us as far as turning off headlights while driving or putting on the radio station that corresponds with the lights (had to read that on a sign in the dark). Most of the lights were not working, which put a damper on the whole experience. I’m glad I finally tried this out but will definitely not be back again. I gave it 2 stars bc of the small discount and the fact that some of the money goes to a good cause.

Boo Symphony of Lights! Working in the Columbia area for the past 6 years, I was excited to finally check this out! I was extremely disappointed with what I saw and if the money wasn’t going towards charity, I would have requested it back. As others have mentioned previously, there is a tiny sign that tells you what station to put your radio on, but if you miss it, you’re in trouble. The 10+ people standing at the front around a trashcan like homeless people don’t say much. Instead of just standing around, they should be out there fixing the other 50% of the lights that were broken. What a joke! I could seriously drive my car to a neighborhood and get a better show than to pay any $ for this again. There were areas that were so dark that we easily could have driven into the grass since there were no lights outlining the road. The displays were extremely outdated and kind of lame. I hope others are warned about this from these reviews and don’t waste their time/​money. Just donate instead of wasting gas to drive through it. I can see kids liking this because they don’t know any better, but seriously parents save your money and just look outside at your neighbors yard.

We went two years ago and the light display was much better. Far too many of the displays were not working. For 20 bucks a car, they should make sure all the lights are in working order before charging such a ridiculous amount.

We took the grandkids to see the Symphony of Lights last night (12÷6÷14). We hadn’t been there in a couple of years and it seems as if there are many more displays then there were the last time we were there.
My only issue was the lack of signage indicating where the entrance was located. Also, the signs could indicate the operating hours. Yes, most of us have some sort of technology with us that we can check such things, but it would just take a few minutes to have some sort of signage. It’s dark and there are so many blocked roads around the venue it’s a bit difficult to see where to enter.
The entrance fee of $ 20.00 goes to the Howard County Hospital. I like knowing that I am making some sort of charitable contribution to a good cause, especially during the holidays.

I am a huge fan of Christmas light displays and get as delighted by them as any child would. This display, however, is a huge disappointment. The entire display is outdated and cheesy. Throw in the fact that they charge $ 20 per car and it’s almost insulting. Columbia deserves better than this. Save your money and take the family to some of the local neighborhoods where you’ll find some displays that are actually worth your time.

I give it two stars because it’s for a good cause… otherwise, it’d be even lower. Having said that, it’s not worth anywhere near the $ 20/​car to get in. There is no wow factor; there needs to be a ton more lights for it to actually be impressive and worth $ 20. Then, some of the displays are ads, such as for Macys! You can even see this in their photos.
If you want to be impressed, you’re better off driving/​walking through Columbia’s neighborhoods. Some of the houses have a more impressive light show than Symphony of Lights.
I can appreciate that it’s a fun tradition, but still, it’s not impressive enough for the money.

This is a great annual event that I plan to make a tradition as long as we live in the area. We used a Living Social deal to attend but I think we would have gone either way. It was my first time even though we have lived in Columbia a long time. The twenty five minute drive through was lovely.
I would advise getting there early and be patient.

This annual Howard County tradition features a huge, drive-​through display of stationary and animated light displays and classic Christmas music playing over a local radio station. It takes about twenty to thirty minutes to go through the entire thing. Located on the grounds of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the event runs from mid-​November to early January. Kids will absolutely love it. All proceeds benefit Howard County General Hospital.
A couple of tips:
— Enter at the intersection of Broken Land Parkway and Hickory Ridge Road
— It’s always busy, so be patient and stay alert
— Check the website for a coupon, or keep your eyes peeled for a Groupon
— Bring some cookies and hot chocolate!
The only thing I found annoying what the amount of talking/​advertising on the radio broadcast. There was something between every song… for a relatively short event, you spend as much listening to the announcer as you do to actual Christmas music. Maybe next time we’ll just bring our own music.