California Living Museum's HolidayLights to be a drive-thru experience

The California Living Museum is slated to partially reopen later this month.

Under Governor Gavin Newsom's new directives, CALM will reopen the local native zoo and gardens to the general public on Wednesday, September 23rd. Indoor exhibits, playground and train will remain closed.

The new hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition, on Monday, CALM announced that its popular HolidayLights will in fact take place this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but will take the form of a drive-thru experience. The mile-long winding path will be open for cars and trucks (no RVs, busses or limousines will be allowed) starting on November 28th.

“HolidayLights is a long-standing tradition in our community attended by more than 65,000 visitors every year,” said Russell Bigler, Chair of the CALM Foundation. “We could not imagine canceling Kern County’s favorite event, and yet we also want to make sure we are operating in a safe manner that reflects our current realities. People need something positive to look forward to this holiday season and CALM directly benefits from the revenue generated as a result of HolidayLights.”

Again, the event will begin Saturday, November 28th, and run through January 2nd from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will be closed on Christmas.

Information on how to purchase tickets, prices, and other details will be forthcoming over the next several weeks.