A new holiday experience is coming to Salt Lake City - KUTV

A new holiday experience is coming to Salt Lake City – KUTV

by

Magical Lantern Nights Brings Massive Illuminated Displays to the Utah State Fairgrounds

Utah’s winter holiday calendar is adding a brand-new tradition this season as Magical Lantern Nights prepares for its state debut at the Utah State Fairgrounds, KUTV reported.

The event opens on November 20, 2026, and runs through January 10, 2027, bringing towering handcrafted lantern displays, life-sized dinosaurs, and immersive walkthrough scenes to Salt Lake City.

Produced by the team behind Houston’s Magical Winter Lights, the attraction centers on enormous illuminated structures built to look like a storybook setting. Visitors can explore glowing characters and large-scale installations designed to transform the fairgrounds into a vibrant nighttime setting.

Yusi Cheng, creator of Magical Lantern Nights, explained the vision behind the debut in an interview featured on KUTV’s Fresh Living.

Utah has an incredible appreciation for holiday traditions and light experiences, which is exactly why we’re so excited to bring something new to Salt Lake City. Magical Lantern Nights combines the nostalgia of holiday lights with the artistry and scale of handcrafted lantern displays. We want guests to feel like they’ve stepped into a storybook.

Beyond the lantern exhibits, the schedule features live acrobatic performances and cultural demonstrations. These events include feats of balance and skill inspired by centuries-old artistic traditions, giving families additional entertainment options throughout the evening.

Magical lunar lantern festival landscape illuminated moon phase lanterns step world enchantment night sky

The experience operates on a weekly schedule. Doors open from Sunday through Monday between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday hours run from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with extended holiday hours also scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Additional details and ticket information are available through the official event portal at magicallanternnights.com.

More on Salt Lake: Park City Chamber sees Salt Lake’s downtown overhaul as boosting tourism · Salt Lake County Reports 65.1% Voter Turnout in 2026 Midterms · Critics warn Amendment B could stifle citizen-led efforts to aid Great Salt Lake

More on this

Read next