Some holiday traditions feel like they’ll be around forever, right up until the announcement that they won’t be. That’s exactly the news Hersheypark delivered this week, closing the book on a drive-thru experience that families across Pennsylvania and beyond had built into their annual holiday routine for two full decades. Combined with a handful of other significant changes the park just confirmed as its summer season wrapped up, there’s a lot for Hersheypark regulars to process before planning their next visit.Credit: HersheyparkA whole lot of goodbyes this week, here’s the scoop:Twenty years of headlights through holiday displays, gone for goodThe reason Hersheypark is giving for pulling the plugOne 100-foot splashdown that just made its very last runEverything that’s still very much alive at the park this fallHeadlights Off, For Good This TimeCredit: HersheyparkHersheypark announced Tuesday that Hershey Sweet Lights will not be returning this holiday season. The park shared the news directly, stating, “After 20 seasons of holiday magic, Hershey Sweet Lights has taken its final drive. Thank you to every family who made the drive-thru a part of your holiday tradition.”Hershey Sweet Lights first launched in 2005, offering guests a drive-thru holiday light show experience complete with music synced to themed displays as cars rolled past. Over the following two decades, it became a genuine seasonal fixture for plenty of families who treated the drive as an annual ritual, making this closure a meaningful loss for longtime visitors rather than just the retirement of a minor seasonal offering.CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) shared on X, “Hersheypark announced Tuesday that Hershey Sweet Lights will not be returning this holiday season.”Hersheypark announced Tuesday that Hershey Sweet Lights will not be returning this holiday season.#pa #pennsylvania #hersheypark #morningminute https://t.co/WSzIk7e6yp pic.twitter.com/VHXUd5d0HT— CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) September 9, 2026The Reason Behind the RetirementCredit: HersheyparkAccording to the Hersheypark website, the decision to end Sweet Lights comes down to redirecting focus toward a different holiday offering already established at the park. Hersheypark said the Sweet Lights would not be returning so the company can “focus on growing Hersheypark Christmas Candylane,” the park’s on-foot holiday event that continues running through early January.That framing suggests this isn’t simply a cost cutting measure, but a deliberate shift in where Hersheypark wants to invest its holiday programming going forward. For guests who specifically loved the drive-thru format, though, that reasoning likely won’t soften the disappointment of losing a tradition that’s been part of the Hershey holiday experience since 2005.Tidal Force Just Made Its Last Splash TooCredit: HersheyparkThe Sweet Lights announcement arrives right on the heels of another significant closure the park confirmed just days earlier. September 7 marked the final day of Hersheypark’s 120th summer operating season, and alongside that milestone, the park also said goodbye to Tidal Force, a 32-year-old water ride located on The Boardwalk.Hersheypark had actually announced Tidal Force’s closure earlier in the year, confirming it would shut down once the summer season wrapped. On September 6, the park posted its official farewell on social media, writing, “After 32 years, it’s time for Tidal Force to set sail. Visit us for one last ride through Monday.” Tidal Force carried guests up a 100 foot incline before delivering a dramatic splashdown that exceeded speeds of 50 miles per hour, and it had been drenching riders and nearby spectators since the attraction originally opened in 1994.Hersheypark hasn’t offered a specific reason for closing Tidal Force, and there’s currently no indication of what, if anything, will eventually take its place on The Boardwalk. For now, guests visiting that section of the park will simply find an empty space where the ride used to operate.Don’t Pack Away the Park Tickets YetDespite wrapping up its 120th summer season and losing both Sweet Lights and Tidal Force in the span of a single week, Hersheypark is far from done for the year. Starting September 12, the park will open every weekend through November 1, bringing back its annual fall lineup, Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights. Both the family friendly daytime event and the horror themed nighttime festivities are included with regular park admission, though guests looking for Fast Track access or tasting passes will need to pay extra for those add ons.Most weekends through November 1 will follow a fairly consistent schedule. Fridays run Hersheypark from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with Dark Nights running from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Saturdays extend the daytime hours from noon to 10:00 p.m., with Dark Nights again running 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Sundays wrap up a bit earlier, with Hersheypark open noon to 9:00 p.m. and Dark Nights running 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. As always, guests planning a visit are encouraged to double check the official park operating calendar before heading out, since schedules can shift.Christmas Candylane Steps Into the SpotlightOnce the Halloween season concludes on November 1, Hersheypark transitions directly into Christmas Candylane, its annual holiday event running on select dates through January 3, 2027. The event features more than two million lights strung throughout the park, opportunities to visit with Santa and his reindeer, and Christmas themed overlays applied to select roller coasters for the season. With Sweet Lights gone, Christmas Candylane now stands as Hersheypark’s primary holiday offering, making it likely the park will continue expanding this particular event in the years ahead.Once Christmas Candylane concludes, Hersheypark will close for the season entirely, typically reopening sometime in early April. The park has not yet announced its exact reopening date for 2027.Rewriting Your Family’s Holiday PlaybookFor families who’ve made Hershey Sweet Lights part of their annual holiday tradition, this year marks a genuine turning point, and it’s worth adjusting expectations accordingly if a Sweet Lights drive was already penciled into your winter plans. Christmas Candylane remains available as an alternative, though it involves walking through the park rather than driving through in the comfort of your car, a meaningful difference for families who specifically valued the drive-thru format.Guests planning a fall visit should keep the new weekend only schedule in mind, since Hersheypark won’t be running daily hours again until its 2027 season opens. And if Tidal Force was a must-ride attraction on past visits, that’s simply no longer an option, with no word yet on what might eventually fill that space on The Boardwalk.What did Hershey Sweet Lights mean to your family’s holiday traditions, and are you planning to check out Christmas Candylane this year instead? Share your thoughts and favorite Hersheypark memories with us in the comments.The post Hersheypark Confirms Holiday Closure for 2026 After 20 Seasons appeared first on Inside the Magic.