Ludington & Manistee · Small town
Bear Lake
For campers and anglers who want a simple lake base: a quiet Manistee County village with a campground right on Bear Lake and ice fishing in winter.
Holiday · Family · Bear Lake
Sparkle in the Park
A holiday light display at the Hopkins Park campground in Bear Lake, with more than 100,000 lights to drive through or see by carriage ride.
Sparkle in the Park turns the Hopkins Park campground into a holiday light show, with more than 100,000 lights across dozens of decorated campsites. It opens on Thanksgiving Day and runs into the new year.
Stay in the car and drive the loop, or take a carriage ride if you want to linger. The village lists evening viewing hours; check before you drive over, especially in bad weather.
What to expect
More than 50 holiday-themed campsites at Hopkins Park are lit from Thanksgiving Day through January 1. You can drive through or take a carriage ride in the evening. The display has run since 2004.
Location
Where Sparkle in the Park happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Bear Lake
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Beach
Hopkins Park
The Village of Bear Lake's park and campground on Bear Lake, the inland lake, with a swim area (no lifeguard), playground, launch and fishing pier.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach
Pierport Beach
A rustic public Lake Michigan beach at the end of 13 Mile Road in Pierport, near Bear Lake. Limited parking, few amenities, an artesian well nearby.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Beach
Arcadia Beach Natural Area
Arcadia's public Lake Michigan beach at the west end of Lake Street, with parking, restrooms, picnic tables and a playground. An easy family beach day.
About 7 miles away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Hotel · Budget
Motel Bear Lake
On West Street in the village of Bear Lake, across from the Bear Lake beach
A small, renovated retro-modern motel in the village of Bear Lake, across the road from the beach on Bear Lake.
More events in and around Bear Lake
- Bear Lake DaysBear Lake's festival weekend after the Fourth, with food trucks downtown, parades, fireworks, a pig roast, car shows and a group bike ride around the lake.
- Aglow on the AvenueAn evening holiday parade along Ludington Avenue that welcomes Santa downtown on Small Business Saturday, paired with the tree lighting at Legacy Plaza.
- Lantern-Lit Snowshoe Hikes at Ludington State ParkFree evening hikes on a lantern-marked trail at Ludington State Park on select winter Saturdays, ending at a bonfire at the park amphitheater.
- Pure Ludington New Year's Eve Ball DropA downtown Ludington street party on New Year's Eve with live music, a ball drop at midnight and fireworks.
- Victorian Sleighbell ParadeAn evening holiday parade of horse-drawn entries on Manistee's Historic River Street, the centerpiece of the four-day Old Christmas Weekend each December.