Perhaps it’s a prerequisite for military spouses to hate their hometown and talk trash about it every chance they get…but not me!
I think my small hometown is cute as can be. We make a trip home at least twice a year.
Sure, small towns have their drawbacks, but they are heavy on charm, which I adore.
And DeFuniak Springs is no exception, especially at Christmastime!
(Also, it’s important to note that I claim 2 hometowns: Paxton and DeFuniak. I went to school at Paxton and spent most of my time there, but my parents and extended family are from DeFuniak and it’s where you work and shop if you live out in the woods between the two like I did growing up.)
Christmas Reflections in DeFuniak Springs
Where?
Christmas Reflections is a huge Christmas light display in Chipley Park. (Note: locals have never in their life said ‘Chipley Park’, it’s the “lake yard”.)
Going to see the lights at the lake yard has been a tradition in my family since I was a kid! And now I get to take my own kids to see them.
Having traditions is hard for military families that aren’t always able to go to the same places year after year. (You can find 25 Christmas traditions for military families here.) So, it’s really special to me that I’m able to do this with my girls.
When?
Christmas Reflections light up the lake every year starting the day after Thanksgiving and don’t stop until New Year’s Eve.
The lights are on every night from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The last car is allowed through at 9:00.
How?
You can view the lights from your car as you drive around the lake or ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Or you can walk, which is what we normally do.
Lake DeFuniak is one of only two naturally occurring, perfectly round spring-fed lakes in the entire world. And it is exactly one mile in circumference.
So, every year we get our jackets and our walking shoes on to take a stroll around the lake to see the lights.
One reason we prefer walking is that we can stop and take pictures along the way!
The Christmas Reflections display gets bigger and better every year. They use the displays and characters from the previous years, but they add something new to it every year.
According to the 2022 announcement, more than 10 MILLION Christmas lights are reflecting off of the lake!
We’ll be strolling though Christmas Reflections again this year and we can’t wait! If you’re in the area, I highly recommend that you check it out too!
