Macon Lights Display Nominated for 10Best Award

The downtown Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza is one of 20 locations in USA TODAY's public holiday lights category.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Civic

Downtown Macon street at dusk, brick storefronts and trees wrapped in warm white holiday lights leading toward an empty roadway. — The downtown Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza, in its 10th year, has been nominated for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Award for Best Public Holiday Lights Display. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you go see a free holiday lights display in your downtown this season?

The Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza, now in its 10th year, has been nominated for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Award for Best Public Holiday Lights Display. Visit Macon officials are encouraging residents to vote for the free downtown display.

Why it matters

The nomination puts the downtown Macon display in a national competition, with voting open through November 30. Residents can vote once per day through the USA TODAY 10Best website.

Macon is one of 20 locations selected in the Best Public Holiday Lights Display category. The display has run for 10 years and is free to attend.

The players

Macon Pops

Macon Pops is the orchestra whose recorded music is synchronized with the downtown light display.

USA TODAY 10Best

USA TODAY 10Best is the annual readers' choice ranking run by USA TODAY that runs the public holiday lights category.

The details

Lights throughout downtown Macon are synchronized to recorded songs performed by Macon Pops, with the audio piped through speakers and the lights moving on beat. The display is free for anyone to attend, and voting for the award is open until November 30.

November 30: Voting for the USA TODAY 10Best award closes.

Season Trajectory

Macon's nomination places its display among 20 public holiday light installations competing in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The outcome depends on reader votes cast before the November 30 deadline.

Residents can vote once per day through the USA TODAY 10Best website until November 30. The downtown Macon display is free to attend for anyone.

The takeaway

Residents who want to support the Macon display can vote once per day through November 30. Attending the free downtown show is an option regardless of the award outcome.