The holiday season is here! The colorful lights across the streets and the Jingle Bells playing on the radio create the warm atmosphere we feel every year. I can almost smell the candy canes and hot cocoa with marshmallows. We try to explore new places every year to see holiday lighting. As we have a wheelchair user in the family we try to do it as a drive-through experience.

Listed below are some of the beautiful neighborhood holiday lighting in the Bay Area that we visited. All of them are wheelchair friendly. I have also tried to cover some individual courts and houses which have more cozy and warm decorations.

Espada and Zacate court, Fremont ♿️

This is a walking neighborhood with Victorian houses beautifully decorated. This is a very quiet and neighborhood. Make sure to take pictures with the beautiful Christmas tree and don’t miss to check out the Carol singers at the window. You can park your car and walk the neighborhood. This place is completely wheelchair accessible.

3342 Redwing Place, Fremont ♿️

This court is beautifully decorated with a two-story nutcracker and a giant Christmas duck

43344 Arkwood St, Fremont ♿️

There is a wonderful display of a beautiful Christmas village with international Nativities, Christmas dolls, and musical lights. Lots of picture opportunities with different kinds of props. They have a hot cocoa booth. Sip some cocoa and have fun.

6716 Fountaine Ave, Newark ♿️

This is a family which has built a festive Holiday Scene. You can walk around and enjoy the Christmas light and sound decorations as the place is not very crowded and completely accessible.

4th Street, Berkeley ♿️

Three blocks of sparkling colorful lights. This place has a refreshing flavor with some photo opportunities. You can drive by or park your car and stroll around maintaining Covid-19 precautions. You Can also drive by Monterey Ave at North Berkeley for a very unique display.

Alameda’s Christmas Tree Lane – 3200 block of Thompson Ave. ♿️

This is one of the best places to see holiday lights in East Bay. Each house has a different theme and the surrounding looks festive like a carnival. You can enjoy this driving by. Try to go on a weekday night as it gets very crowded on weekends.

Oakland California Temple ♿️

Beautiful holiday decorations and a fantastic view of the Bay. Each tree is decorated. You can drive by or stroll depending on the crowd. There are a few ADA parking in the lot. 

Widmer-world –  3671 Chelsea Ct, Pleasanton ♿️

Located on a cul de sac lot this is a very colorful place. There are various collections of Christmas decorations on display.  The lights are synced to the holiday music.  You can go around through the side and backyards of this home. Quietly park your car on the streets and enjoy the show. As this is located in a residential neighborhood make sure you don’t make a lot of noise. 

4641 Queen Anne Ct, Union City ♿️

This is a court where the houses are decorated with lights and holiday figures of Santa accompanied by some music. There are many inflatables on the court, with beautiful lighting to create the spirit of Christmas. You can simply drive by or park your car on the streets to stroll around.

Picardy Drive ♿️

Drive through Picardy drive between Seminary and 55th Ave for fairytale-style lighting. 

Eucalyptus Tree Lane, San Carlos ♿️

1900 Eucalyptus Avenue in San Carlos has dressed up for Christmas with lights and decorations. For a Drive thorough trip make sure to keep a couple of hours as the traffic is very slow.

Willow Glen, San Jose ♿️

The neighborhood is decorated with Christmas lights. Each street is differently themed.  Rows of arches, hanging stars, reindeer, and the Christmas tree in the front yard of every house are a special attraction. You can just drive by or stroll with caution as the crowd is very careful.

Santana Row, San Jose ♿️

There is a magnificent display of a 40-foot Christmas tree at the center court. The whole street is decorated with lights and there are life-sized reindeer, camels, and giraffes. This place is normally very crowded. It is advisable to drive by.

Christmas Tree Lane, Palo Alto, located in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Street ♿️

The row of houses is beautifully lighted and decorated in different themes. You can drive by or walk around.

Crippsmas Place, Fremont ♿️

Crippsmas Place is on Cripps Place, Asquith Place, Nicolet Court, Wellington Place, Perkins Street, and the stretch of Nicolet Avenue between Gibraltar Drive and Perkins Street. This is a drive-by place. It does get crowded and the traffic is prolonged.

Train of Lights, Niles Canyon Railway ♿️

Train of Light is a unique experience for the holiday time in Fremont. This is a 1.5-hour-long round trip through Niles Canyon at night and a very doable thing for wheelchair users if planned beforehand. The antique coaches and open cars are all decorated inside out. There is Santa on board too. While at Niles Station don’t miss the opportunity to take pictures with the beautifully decorated old tram.

The Niles Canyon Railroad Depot is wheelchair accessible. The cars on the train have some steps but a wheelchair lift is used to board the train. It is a little hard to move around inside as the alley is very narrow. There are a couple of accessible parking spaces at the train depot both in Fremont and Sunol. If you have a wheelchair or need other special assistance, please contact them beforehand