On December 8, 2024, the City of Audubon Park asked residents to have their homes lit before 6 p.m. That evening the Audubon Park Police Department pulled Santa through the neighborhood. The city's fall newsletter told families to listen for music and watch for the lights of the police car. Two days later, Fern Creek Fire Department covered a truck in more than 10,000 lights and set up Santa photos at Audubon Country Club.
Audubon Park's December is put on by the people who live here and the small staff they pay for, on the same blocks that have carried the spotlit dogwoods every April since 1971. Light Up Audubon Park returns December 8 through 18 this year.
The Display Is Your Doorway and the Lamp Post Out Front
The city's annual events page describes the holiday season this way. Residents are encouraged to "light up and decorate their doorways, homes and street lamp posts for the holiday season so that Audubon Park looks its best for the many visitors who enjoy driving through our historic neighborhood at this time of year."
So the display is the city itself, house by house. The 2026 calendar lists Light Up Audubon Park as an 11-day run and doesn't list a separate tree lighting.
The lamp posts get real attention. In the Winter 2025 newsletter, Mayor Madeline Bozeman opened her recap of the holidays by thanking "all the men and women who decorated our streetlamps for the holidays." This year a lamp post needs a working bulb first. The Fall 2026 newsletter says LG&E has told the city it is behind on streetlight repairs because of a supply issue. The city also depends on residents to report outages, since many city employees aren't working when the lights are on. If the light by your walk is out, the Streetlight Outage Online Form on the city's website is the route the newsletter points to. Reporting it in November gives the repair more time than reporting it on December 7.
The same newsletter lists prizes for first-place contestants right next to the Light Up dates, so 2026 appears to include a decorating competition. Categories, judging and entry steps haven't been posted yet. Those details will most likely arrive the same way most city news does.
The Dogwood Festival Already Showed How This Works
People who have walked Wren Park in April already know this setup. The Festival of the Dogwood started in 1971 after Marjorie Davis brought the idea of spotlighting dogwood trees to the Audubon Park Garden Club during her term as president. The first festival ran April 20 to 25 of that year.
The city's history of the festival makes clear that the stars were never staged decorations. Dogwoods and other flowering trees "in Wren Park and on residential lawns along 43 city blocks" make up the show. Some of the Wren Park dogwoods were donated and planted by residents during World War II in honor of family members serving in the armed forces. The Garden Club ran the event for decades. In 2015, the city's Park and Recreation Board took over planning.
December follows the same pattern. Residents' yards are the main display, and a few public moments are scheduled around them. In April the light comes from spotlights on blooming trees. In December it comes from strands on porches and wrapped lamp posts along the same streets, and the same "visitors who enjoy driving through" show up in both seasons.
What's on the City Calendar From Now Through December
Here's what the city has posted so far, plus one tradition that hasn't been confirmed yet.
| Date | Event | Where and what's posted |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Nov. 9 | Garden Club program, "All About Iris" | 1 p.m., City Hall, 3340 Robin Road. Speaker Terryl Allen of the Louisville Area Iris Society |
| Tuesday, Dec. 8 to Friday, Dec. 18 | Light Up Audubon Park | Citywide. Prizes for first place are mentioned, rules not yet posted |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | Garden Club Christmas open house | Described on the annual events page as the second Sunday in December, 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall. Not on the 2026 calendar yet |
| Sunday, Dec. 20 | Santa rides through Audubon | Listed as all day. No start time or route posted yet |
| Tuesday, Dec. 22 | Family Caroling and Sing-a-long | 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. No location listed yet |
The open house is the one to hold loosely. The annual events page describes coffee, hot cider and holiday cookies at City Hall. It calls the evening a way to kick off the season. The 2026 calendar doesn't show it, so treat December 13 as tentative until the Garden Club or the city confirms it.
How Santa's Ride Has Actually Run
Santa's ride is the clearest example of the city running its own holidays, and the past two years show the pattern:
- December 8, 2024. The Audubon Park Police Department pulled Santa through the neighborhood starting at 6 p.m. Residents were told to listen for music. The city said that if Fern Creek Fire Department brought Santa to Audubon Country Club, it would send word through Reach Alert. The fire truck did come, two days later, with more than 10,000 lights.
- December 21, 2025. The September 2025 newsletter announced that Mr. and Mrs. Claus would again be pulled by the Audubon Park Police Department. It sent residents to the "Audubon Park City Hall" Facebook page for timing.
- December 20, 2026. The date is on the city calendar. The time, route and vehicle aren't posted yet.
In 2024 the start time was printed in the fall newsletter. In 2025 the newsletter pointed to Facebook for timing instead. The city calls Reach Alert its primary communication tool for community updates, safety, trash schedules and events, and it strongly encourages every resident to sign up. If you want to have the porch lights on when the police car comes around the corner on December 20, Reach Alert and the City Hall Facebook page are where to watch.
The Same Helpers Keep the Rest of the Year Going
December can be put on this way because the rest of the year already runs on the same volunteers. The Fall 2026 newsletter thanks residents by name for jobs that a larger city would hand to a parks crew. Erin and Kevin Heine pick up trash around the neighborhood. Mollie keeps the fairy houses stocked. Chris Bauer donated the Kentucky state flag. Marie Eff coordinates the Garden Club's twice-yearly cleanup of the Preston Highway entrance. Brightside Foundation recognized her with its Fred Wiche Volunteer of the Year Award.
Some recent projects build on that base:
- The stage at Henderson Park, 3219 Wren Road. Residents presented plans for a stage upgrade in Henderson Park at the August 2025 council meeting. The new stage debuted at this spring's Dogwood Festival. The city reported a record turnout before rain cut the event short. The city is preparing a dedication plaque listing the stage's donors. A $12,000 gift still comes with naming rights.
- The fairy and gnome houses. They're stocked with donated items, and the city asks visitors to clean up after themselves so the area stays tidy for everyone.
- The Audubon Park Foundation. The city formed this new 501(c)(3) to accept donations for city improvements. It's now part of the Kroger Community Rewards Program, which lets shoppers link their Kroger card so Kroger donates to the Foundation. As of the fall newsletter, five residents had enrolled.
- The tree grant. City Forester Ryan Lewis's Forest Board is working toward planting 100 trees over two years. The city has lost many mature trees to emerald ash borer, storms and age. A new grant pays for free trees in residents' yards. Sign-ups are first come, first served, and right-of-way plantings get priority. Those right-of-way trees are the ones future dogwood seasons and holiday drives will pass.
The Garden Club, which started the dogwood spotlights, is also easier to join now. Membership is no longer limited to Audubon Park residents. Annual dues are $35 per person or $65 per couple, and programs at City Hall are open to residents and their guests. After the November 9 iris program, the next one is February 8, 2027. Morgan Grubbs, Chief Tree Officer with Trees Louisville, will speak at the Winter Potluck Luncheon at Audubon Baptist Church, 1046 Hess Lane, at 11 a.m.
A Stop on Hess Lane
If you're out driving the lights on a Friday or Saturday, Grit & Griddle is at 905 Hess Lane. LaToya Bradley, who also runs Brew & Sip Express, set it to open on February 20. Food & Dining Magazine reported a weekend-only schedule at opening, with fish on Fridays from noon to 8 p.m. and chicken and sweet tea waffles on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those were the hours in February, so check the restaurant's current schedule before you plan a December evening around it.
If you're decorating your porch and lamp post for Light Up Audubon Park and starting to wonder what your home will be worth by dogwood season, I'm glad to run the numbers with you before the spring rush. Ethan John Adams answers seven days a week. Send a note and we'll set up a quick valuation consult. Let's Connect.
