When Do Christmas Lights Go Up and Come Down? The Season Month by Month

September 22nd, 2026

By Ben McBurney, It’s A Wonderful Light

At It’s A Wonderful Light our holiday season starts in late summer, when the first photos of houses come in for designs. The design is free. Installs run through October and November, and takedown starts as early as January 1 and wraps up by the third week of January.

Brick house with warm white lights on the roofline, around two arched windows and over the garage, a wreath with a red bow on the gable and lit garland around the front door — Roofline, windows, a wreath and garland around the front door.

Quick answers

Late summer: free design and mockup, then pick your install date.
October: installs start and Halloween displays go up.
November: more installs, and Halloween displays change over to Christmas.
December: the lights run on a timer. We respond within 48 hours if anything goes out.
January: takedown from January 1 through the third week, then storage.

Late summer: the design

It starts with a photo of your house. Send one with your quote request or ask for a designer to come out. We build a mockup of your home with the lights on it, and you approve it by email. Then we set your install date. The design and quote are free, and we don’t order anything until you say yes.

Displays start at $1,500 across three packages, and you get $300 off for the 2026 season. Booking early gets you first pick of dates and products. There’s more on that in when to book Christmas light installation.

October: installs begin

October is when our calendar fills up. We start installing Christmas displays in October while the weather is still good, weeks before anyone turns them on.

It’s also Halloween, and some families like a little orange and purple first. We put up Halloween lighting in orange and purple for the month, then change it over to your Christmas display.

Brick two-story house with purple lights along the roofline and trees and shrubs lit in purple for Halloween — A Halloween display in purple. The same house gets its Christmas lights in November.

November: installation

We install on the date you picked. The roofline lights go on with removable clips. The cords get hidden and taped, and the wreaths and garland go up. We set the timer before we leave.

Want the lights on for Thanksgiving? Ask for an early date when you book. The installation page explains how we protect your house.

Entry with white columns spiral wrapped in lit garland, more lit garland framing the double doors and a single red bow — Garland wrapped on the porch columns and around the front door.

December: enjoy it

This is the part you’ve been waiting for. The lights come on by themselves every evening, so all that’s left is to enjoy them. If snow pulls a strand loose or a section goes out, call 630-201-9627 or send a service request. We respond within 48 hours and replace burned-out bulbs at no extra charge. Before you call, you can check what to look for when part of your lights goes out.

House in fresh snow with warm white roofline lights, tree trunks wrapped in warm white lights and lit reindeer on the lawn — December snow, wrapped tree trunks and a few lit reindeer.

January: takedown and storage

Takedown starts as early as January 1 and wraps up by the third week of January. A second visit picks up every clip and bit of adhesive. Before your display goes into storage we photograph it and draw a diagram. Then we label it and keep it in our climate controlled facility, so it goes back up the same way next season.

Want the lights up a little longer, for a January party or just because? Let us know ahead of time with the take down date request form. The takedown and storage page has the details.

Spring through fall

Your holiday display stays in storage. In the warmer months we install weatherproof patio and bistro lighting on decks, gazebos and porches, and it can stay up all year.

Strings of warm white bistro bulbs hung over a patio with a lit tree and seating below — Bistro lights strung over a backyard patio.

Displays start at $1,500 and the design is free. Call 630-201-9627, email info@iawlight.com or use the contact page. We’re at 2800 Hitchcock Ave in Downers Grove and work across the western, northwestern and northern suburbs. Happy holidays from all of us at It’s A Wonderful Light.