For many adults, one of the fondest Christmas memories is driving around with siblings and parents to look at light displays.

The opening scene of the beloved holiday movie “A Christmas Story” encapsulates this exact feeling of gawking in store windows at all of the toys, lights and displays.

“Ho, ho, but no matter,” said Ralphie’s adult self, played by Jean Shepherd, in the movie. “Christmas was on its way. Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas, upon which the entire kid year revolved. First-nighters packed earmuff-to-earmuff, jostled in wonderment before a golden, tinkling display of mechanized electronic joy!”

That’s what the kids — and most of the adults as well — were emanating in their comments and wide-eyed expressions as they walked through two of the largest Christmas light displays in northern Colorado making new Christmas memories.

Garden of Lights at Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins

As people walked through the paths of the ever-growing display of lights at this annual light display, comments could be heard about which piece was their favorite.

One lady claimed the best was absolutely the oversized watering can.

Another could be heard saying it was the five-foot tall grasshopper made up of green lights.

One of the volunteers said her favorite display was the grape vines in the outdoor teaching kitchen, noting “they look so real.”

The total number of lights has been reported to exceed 200,000 LED lights in shades of pink, green, purple, red, blue, yellow and any other color imaginable for a holiday light display and then molded into unique garden-inspired creations with more than 5,000 zip ties.

One staff member who worked on putting the show together, which opened on Dec. 8 and has run every year since 2008, said that just one tree alone has three to four strands of 100 lights. Considering the half-mile loop through the property is loaded with several hundred trees plus planters, lawn ornaments and other custom-created features covered in lights, that total number must easily exceed 200,000.

Throughout the 18-acre property, which has operated as a community horticulture center since 2004, the horticulturalists have created a whimsical land of glowing garden features, including fluttering butterflies, short garden flowers, tall stalks of wheat and glittering blooms rising into the night sky.

Santa is available for photos and wish lists each evening. Mrs. Claus will join him on Saturday, Dec. 23. This week there are also LED performers and the Sugar Plum Furries Dog Troupe.

The Garden of Lights at Gardens on Spring Creek is open from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through Dec. 23. Entry closes at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person for adults and children 12 years and older; $5 for children ages 5-11; children 4 years and younger are free. There is also a full bar that sells warm festive drinks.

For more information about Garden of Lights, including a schedule and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.fcgov.com/gardens/garden-of-lights.

Winter Wonderland at Chapungu Sculpture Park in Loveland

Throughout the year, Chapungu Sculpture Park is a unique mix of culture, nature and gardens near some of the best shopping in northern Colorado. A self-guided trail navigates through the 26 acre-park that includes 82 sculptures from Zimbabwean artists that exhibit their cultural heritage.

Visit on a December evening, however, and those same sculptures are now mixed in with a light display of more than 200,000 LED twinkling bulbs.

One of the few free public light displays in northern Colorado, excluding yard displays at private homes, the magical Winter Wonderlights show runs daily through Jan. 1.

Each evening includes a 30-minute light and music show that plays continuously from 5 to 9 p.m. with nine songs and moving lights on the 23-foot tall mappable Christmas tree. There are also snowflakes, snowmen and several places to take family photos, including in a sleigh and with reindeer cutouts.

Like the Gardens on Spring Creek display, children walk along the path with wide eyes as they take in the rainbow of colors and twinkling lights. And in addition to bringing children, well-behaved dogs are allowed at this location too.

Winter Wonderlights is located in the Chapungu Sculpture Park on the east side of Macy’s at Centerra Shopping Center (5995 Sky Pond Drive in Loveland). Ample free parking is available between the park and Macy’s.

For more information about Winter Wonderlights, visit https://visitloveland.com/winterwonderlights/.