Hikari Festival of Lights: Tanaka Farms Lights Up the Sky!

Tanaka Farms is hosting Hikari: A Festival of Lights this November 27th through January 10, 2021! Read on for what you can expect when driving through this lit up drive-thru experience.

Thank you to Tanaka Farms for inviting us to preview the Hikari: Festival of Lights. A SoCal Way of Life received tickets in exchange for our review. However, all opinions are honest and my own. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. A SoCal Way of Life earns a commission on all qualifying purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our site so that we can continue to bring you great content!

What does “Hikari” mean?

The word Hikari means “shine” in Japanese. Tanaka Farms will be demonstrating Hikari for visitors this holiday season! Tanaka Farms Hikari Festival of Lights will light up the 30-acre farm with over a mile of twinkling lights. In true Tanaka Farms fashion, this festival of lights will be farm themed. The farm theme includes tractors, trees, and scarecrows!

Even more exciting? Santa will be visiting the festival Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays!

What is the experience like?

Hikari Festival of Lights is a 100% drive thru experience. You stay in your vehicle the entire ride while enjoying the lights. However, be sure to bring your masks as they are required throughout the experience.

Something I have not experienced in drive-thrus before was the option to order some snacks. This was a fun surprise! Imagine just sitting back in your nice warm car enjoying the lights while sipping a warm drink. My idea of a nice holiday outing 😉

Upon entering, you immediately see the fields lit up with festive lights. It is definitely a different way to experience Tanaka Farms!

As you drive through the farm, be sure to have your camera ready to snap shots of the lighted and decorated hillsides. You’ll even find decorated farm equipment.

My personal favorites

There are two things that were my absolute favorite about the experience: Candy Cane Lane and Christmas Tree Lane!

Candy Cane Lane is a row of sugar canes lit up in candy cane colors. It is fun to drive along with sugar canes along either side of your car with the beautiful sign at the end.

Christmas Tree Lane is in a league all by itself. This show stopper is a line of light trees on both sides of your car with a HUGE light tree at the end of the lane. This tree changes colors and is a sight to behold. Be sure to grab some video. Trust me, you will have time. Everybody wants to grab pictures and video of this view!

Honorable mention: Stop at the market place AFTER the drive thru experience is over. This is not part of the drive thru and you might miss it (we almost did!). It is worth the stop.

Fun surprises for the kids

Besides the lights (obviously!), you’ll find some fun surprises as you reach the end of the drive.

First, you’ll get to drive through the petting zoo. There are two different lanes, therefore which animal you see will be determined by your lane. We got to see an adorable donkey and a family of goats!

Second, we were THRILLED when we found out we would get to see Santa! We all greeted Santa and then got a picture taken for us with our phone. I recommend you have everyone put their faces through one side of the car (facing away from Santa). Unfortunately, I did not put my face through the window and I missed the opportunity for a classic picture. Be sure to check your picture before you move on! Please note: Santa is only at the Hikari drive thru Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Any tips for this experience?

I would definitely recommend the following:

Make sure everyone take a bathroom break before entering! There is not restroom during the drive-thru and you must remain in your car.
Drive slow so that you can enjoy every minute.
Don’t be shy about stopping to grab photos. Everybody does it and it’s not a problem. Just be sure you don’t just slam on your brakes at the last minute!
Have your camera ready to shoot in “night mode” if you have it. Some light displays will require that mode to get the best picture.
Stop by the market place! You will not regret taking a look at all of the fun holiday plants, trees, and products. Just park in the lot at the end of the drive-thru and walk in. Don’t forget your masks!