Layton Lights

We have a family tradition to visit the holiday lights in Layton. This year it was extra fun because we were able to do it with Rita's parents and with Rita's sister and her family.

The light display is pretty extensive, considering Layton isn't the biggest city around. There are a lot of lights, and they seem to add more each year. I think we enjoy the Layton display almost as much as we do the one at Temple Square. This may seem a bit odd because of how much they differ in quality. The lights on Temple Square are religious, classy, and beautiful. The Layton lights are gaudy, cheesy, and completely disjointed. They are devoid of anything religious or anything having to do with Christmas.

I'm starting to sound a bit like a Christmas lights elitist. But don't get me wrong. I still think they are a lot of fun. They might not give you a feeling of reverence like the Temple Square lights do, but they are very popular, and rightfully so. You can see them all from your car--which is very nice if you're in a hurry--and you can also walk on the path that winds among the trees and other displays. Also, they are free. We have been to more than one lights display that costs money and isn't as good as the Layton lights.

Perhaps the best part about these lights is that our kids love them. While I might find a tree that has been meticulously covered in thousands of uniformly-colored lights to be beautiful, my children have entirely different tastes. They enjoy what I find to be trashy: flashing, multiple colors, animated animals, etc. One particular aspect they like about the Layton lights is that they are memorable. While I wouldn't ever say "I remember that tree on Temple Square from last year," a big part of the Layton display is remembering the frog catching the dragonfly or the ape breaking open the coconut.

If you go to only one light display this holiday season, go to Temple Square. But if you go to two light displays, I recommend you also go to Layton. It will be a memorable experience.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Our family.

Rita's sister Stephanie's family.

The kids being crazy around Rita's parents.