The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to hug your dog, my dear. 

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The past few years, it really hasn’t felt like Christmas. It’s been hot, we’ve driven a ton, work burns us out, and we just didn’t do many Christmas-y events or activities. Even decorating didn’t help. This year, it’s a whole different story.

Dashing Through the Lights 5k

The Clipper Magazine Stadium, home to the Lancaster Barnstormers, puts on a holiday drive-through light show that runs for about 6 weeks. We’ve never gone and I like ones you can walk through much better. It’s just more magical that way, at least in my opinion. Enter the holiday lights Dashing through the Lights 5k at the stadium! Will and I signed up with some friends.

If you’re in a holiday slump I 10/10 recommend doing a 5k like this. Fair warning, if you’re over 30 like me it starts at 10pm so get a nap in since it’s past our bedtimes. If you’re in a Christmas slump, these will jumpstart the holidays for you. It was like an infusion of your favorite parts of Christmas came together in one race. Holiday lights completely surrounding you during every part of the route, holiday music, people cheering you on, holiday sweaters, holiday costumes, and Christmas trees decorated for charity lined the walkway at the end. I turned into a little kid again and got WAY more into the holidays because of this.

Wet Nose Wednesday Holiday Lights

All throughout the year, that same stadium hosts Wet Nose Wednesday every single week. Dogs are welcome in the stadium, can come for a game, and sometimes there are events just for the dogs. During the holidays, we found out that WNW continues! The stadium puts up 100 Christmas trees where anyone can vote on their favorites which costs $2 and the money goes towards charity. The trees are completely decked out and line the main walkway which meant we could take our dogs on a very merry date night.

The holiday lights we ran through were still in full force, so we walked around where there weren’t cars and we loved being able to do that with our boys. Once we got inside they were much more interested in the trees which was really cute. Everyone had their dogs with them and a lot were decked out in holiday sweaters and outfits.

The way the stadium is designed you can walk the entire perimeter inside and get a 360 view of the lights and tress. It was so much fun walking them around and giving them a new experience all while having a different date night of our own!

Needless to say, I’m 100% in the holiday spirit because of this. I hope everyone who celebrates is having a very merry Christmas!