The leaves have fallen and the mercury is dropping, but the Holiday season is just heating up in Hershey, PA. On November 15th, we got the opportunity to visit the opening weekend of Hersheypark’s 2025 Christmas Candylane event. Stroll under tree-lined paths and wonder at over 5 million twinkling lights, watch a holiday show , sip delicious hot chocolate, and ride over 40 family rides and select coasters.

Review by Nathan Hart, our State Ambassador for Pennsylvania

Our Visit

As we passed through the park’s main entrance plaza, we were greeted by the new and stunning 50-foot-tall Kissmas Tree. This is the centerpiece of the Chocolatetown section of Hersheypark, a can’t-miss photo opportunity.

We took a stroll to the back of the park to encounter one of the handful of roller coasters that the park operates during Christmas Candylane, the Wildcat’s Revenge. We got a back-row ride and felt the wrath from this 140-foot-tall, 62-mile-per-hour hybrid roller coaster. This was by far the most intense attraction available during Christmas Candylane.

As the sun started to set, the 5 million lights on display started to show their brilliance, one of the neatest parts of Christmas Candylane is the lighting packages on several of the rides and attractions. One of which was Jolly Rancher Remix - the park’s boomerang coaster, in which guests travel through the ride’s three inversions, before doing them again backwards. The coaster featured red and green strobe lighting as well as a Christmas-themed soundtrack as the train traverses the track.

As the temperature started to fall, we decided it was time to warm up. It was time to go into the Music Box Theatre for Twinkling Thru Time - a live tribute to Christmases past. The show features singers and dancers performing beloved Christmas tunes and a few original songs. Granny Anne re-lives Christmases with her family as they grew up living in Hershey.

We ended our night with a shivering ride on Candymonium, the park's 210-foot-tall hypercoaster. Extra layers are certainly recommended for this ride!

The Event

A holiday tradition for more than 40 years, Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is a Pennsylvania staple, boasting the most lights of any amusement park in the state and the one of the only places in the Northeast to see all nine of Santa’s live reindeer, including Rudolph.

Christmas Candylane is currently open Thursday through Sunday evenings until January 4th, 2026. Temperatures will need to be at a minimum of 38°F and rising in order for most of the roller coasters and rides to operate. The Hersheypark mobile app provides wait times and operating statuses.

The Kissing Tower and Ferris Wheel provide the best opportunities to view the 5 million lights from above, and you can see a light show featuring dancing lights synchronized to your favorite Christmas music, NOEL, in The Hollow.

There are special seasonal food and beverage offerings including gingerbread milkshakes, boozy hot chocolate, s’mores, and holiday-themed hot dogs. Refer to the Hersheypark mobile app for specific menus and locations.

In additional to the festive entertainment in Hersheypark, you can also drive through 2 miles of wooded trails, while gazing at illuminated and animated displays from the comfort of your own car at Hershey Sweet Lights.

Special thanks to Hersheypark for inviting us to the opening weekend of the event.

Photos courtesy of Hersheypark.