Cars drive into a toy workshop during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Your car will serve as a sleigh dashing through the snow and into Santa’s workshop at this recently opened drive-thru holiday attraction.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia is hosting Reindeer Road, an animated light show synchronized with music that will take carloads of people through mountainous terrains, ice caves and forests on a journey to the North Pole.
“Lights are just everywhere, you’re surrounded the entire time,” said Sara Klick, director of guest relations and marketing for World of Illumination, the producers of the show.
Reindeer Road is a mile-long installation that takes about 25 minutes to drive through. It’s made up of about 4 million LED lights designed to recreate the outlines of holiday staples like presents, drums, mountains, trees, elves, reindeer and other holiday-related animals and objects people will drive by as they listen to holiday and pop music through the car radio.
Klick said they decided to keep this event as a drive-through rather than a walk-through attraction to keep it more economical for families, since they only need to purchase one ticket per car.
Here’s some of what you’ll see from your car windows during your drive to the North Pole:
A child looks out their window at the lights during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
A child looks on during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars drive through during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars drive though an avenue of presents during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Lighted gingerbread people and homes are displayed during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars drive through an ice tunnel during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars line up to enter Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars drive through a rainbow road during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Entrance lanes stand ready during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Cars drive through a toy workshop during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
A child smiles as they look out at the lights during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
A child holds a glow stick during Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Entrance to a Reindeer Road, a drive-through animated light show featuring millions of LED lights and hundreds of animated displays put on by World of Illumination in the parking lot of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia on Saturday, November 27, 2021. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
Look on both sides of the car after you enter the exhibition because you’ll see reindeer figures lighting on and off to make it appear as though they’re running towards a pair of mountains in the background that are lit up in cool white and blue hues. There’s no doubt that’s the North Pole ahead. Just don’t bother looking for Rudolph, because according to Klick, they couldn’t get the star of the herd to appear because they don’t hold the licensing rights for the famous red-nosed reindeer. And he would have probably demanded a royalty fee.
Ice road
Once you pass the running reindeer it’s on to an icy road as lighted-up figures of icebergs, snowmen and mountains flank your car. Keep an eye out for a pair of abominable snowmen — one’s in plain sight but the other is hidden there somewhere. This road also leads to the first of several light tunnels.
Into the sea
A row of penguins lead into the ocean portion of the drive where you’ll see walruses and curved flickering lights meant to look like waves as you sail through the sea, getting closer and closer to the big guy’s workshop.
Into the green
After passing through a tunnel of sparkly lights that look like they’re dancing in the air, you’ll feel like you’re mid-air, too, as you pass lights shaped like clouds that float above a few rainbows. This leads into a massive tree figure shaped out of lights that serves as the entrance to another tunnel where a light show set to holiday music awaits you.
Welcome to the shop
You arrive at Santa’s Workshop a couple of turns later. The shop is 200-feet-long and whether you’ve been naughty or nice you’ll get to see more than 250,000 sparkling lights creating massive objects including a drum, a rocking horse, a dreidel and a plane. Make sure you look for all the elves working there, including the one rolling around in his own car.
Reindeer Road
When: 6-10 p.m. daily through Jan. 2
Where: Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Gate 1, Arcadia
Cost: $79 per vehicle on weekdays and $89 on weekends and holidays.
