Christmas Traditions Old and New: Virginia City Parade of Lights and Drone Show

The second weekend of Christmas on the Comstock was in full swing with the Parade of Lights and the first-ever drone show, Dec. 13, 2025, as locals and visitors gathered in Virginia City to make magical Christmas memories.

The Parade of Lights is a holiday tradition for many families in Storey and Lyon Counties (and beyond) who visit VC to enjoy the display of decorated vehicles and creative holiday floats cruising down historic C Street. This year, the drone show offered the crowd something new to enjoy, blending history with innovation for a unique and memorable Christmas experience.

Everywhere you looked, the town was magically decorated for Christmas on the Comstock, as it is for the entire month of December. Christmas lights were elegantly draped across Virginia City Main Street and wrapped light posts garnished with festive wreathes.

Parade-goers popped into local coffee shops and stands to grab hot cocoa, tea, and holiday drinks to sip while watching the parade. Visitors gathered and found their place with a view for the Parade of Lights, which briefly shuts down C Street for a incredible community experience.

VC’s style was interwoven into the Parade of Lights, showcasing the area's love of off-roading, American pride, and Comstock culture and history.

The parade began with the Storey County Sheriff clearing the path and tossing candy to kids. Carson High NJROTC led the way, calling cadence and setting the rhythm for the rest of the parade to sing, play, and celebrate the season.

Decorated side-by-side vehicles began cruising down C Street, decorated with lights, playing Christmas music, and outfitted with unique decorations. Lights wrapped the hood and frames of vehicles, with inflatables including Frosty the Snowman, Santa, and the Grinch strapped to the back – one SxS vehicle carried an inflatable snow globe spelling, ‘Let it Snow’ with snow blowing out behind them. Kids exclaimed aloud which vehicles in the parade were their favorite while running around to grab flying candy.

Trucks honked and revved their engines, grabbing the crowd’s attention. One truck carried an inflatable outhouse – a nod to Virginia City’s annual Outhouse Races. The Delta Saloon and Sawdust Corner Steakhouse carriages also joined the parade, decorated in true Christmas spirit.

As the final vehicles of the Parade of Lights turned off C Street, the inaugural drone show on the Comstock commenced. Spectators shifted their attention east and gathered under the dark night sky to view the drone show hosted by Sky Elements, a company that provides the biggest drone shows in America. It was a new experience for many in the crowd and an innovative approach to a community Christmas show for history-rich Virginia City.

The drone show was a spectacular display of light and movement – a combination of silent fireworks and colorful constellations created using advanced technology. The drones changed colors and moved in perfect formation, bringing the images to life; they moved together in perfect unison and spacing to form Christmas features, including Santa in a sleigh with reindeer, a present, Christmas bells, and ornaments.

“It’s Santa, he’s waving! Hi, Santa!” kids called out as they looked up at the Christmas lights show in the sky. Half of the fun was the anticipation of what the drones would display next as they transitioned, making it an interactive experience for families.

“What’s it going to be?” a father asked a group of kids. The kids began guessing the Christmas icon, as the drones buzzed around and changed colors. “Bells! It’s bells!” They cheered, excited as they recognized what they saw in the sky. Laughs echoed over the Comstock as a goofy elf took shape, with an assortment of colors making the elf pop in the dark night sky.

The crowd's second-favorite feature – because, of course, Santa was number one – was when the drones formed to spell Virginia City in its recognizable style. Cheers erupted from the crowd as the colors of Virginia City changed overhead.

The Parade of Lights and Drone Show was a combination of old and new Christmas traditions and another magical December night on the Comstock filled with everlasting memories. Christmas on the Comstock events and activities will continue throughout the month of December.