San Jose's DOCA Festival Brings Community Together with Magical Holiday Light Display
The South Bay is aglow with the newly launched DOCA Festival of Holiday Lights, a dazzling display that promises to bring families and communities together during the holiday season. Opened on Friday night, the festival will run until January 4, 2026, featuring five glowing acres, six magical zones, and over 40 handmade attractions.
The brainchild of co-founders Wan Zhao and Yixin, DOCA Festival is a community-driven initiative aimed at reconnecting people with their inner-child. The idea was born from an art contest where local kids were encouraged to submit their drawings, which inspired the design of some of the festival's artwork. The team then brought these imaginative designs to life through physical structures within the festival.
"We came up with one simple question: how can we bring stories, art and families together to have an immersive experience?" said Wan Zhao. "And here we are." This vision is reflected in the festival's larger-than-life characters in Discovery Meadow, creating a unique holiday experience for families in San Jose.
The DOCA Festival's focus on community and creativity has resonated with attendees, including local kids who had their artwork displayed throughout the festival. "It's very magical to see that happen and see the kids' creativity shine," said Wan Zhao. The festival is also open on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days, making it a convenient holiday outing for families.
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, San Jose residents can enjoy not one but two festive light displays: DOCA Festival and Christmas in the Park's Blinky's Drive Thru at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds. Both events promise to bring joy and wonder to those who attend.
The South Bay is aglow with the newly launched DOCA Festival of Holiday Lights, a dazzling display that promises to bring families and communities together during the holiday season. Opened on Friday night, the festival will run until January 4, 2026, featuring five glowing acres, six magical zones, and over 40 handmade attractions.
The brainchild of co-founders Wan Zhao and Yixin, DOCA Festival is a community-driven initiative aimed at reconnecting people with their inner-child. The idea was born from an art contest where local kids were encouraged to submit their drawings, which inspired the design of some of the festival's artwork. The team then brought these imaginative designs to life through physical structures within the festival.
"We came up with one simple question: how can we bring stories, art and families together to have an immersive experience?" said Wan Zhao. "And here we are." This vision is reflected in the festival's larger-than-life characters in Discovery Meadow, creating a unique holiday experience for families in San Jose.
The DOCA Festival's focus on community and creativity has resonated with attendees, including local kids who had their artwork displayed throughout the festival. "It's very magical to see that happen and see the kids' creativity shine," said Wan Zhao. The festival is also open on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's days, making it a convenient holiday outing for families.
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, San Jose residents can enjoy not one but two festive light displays: DOCA Festival and Christmas in the Park's Blinky's Drive Thru at the Santa Clara County fairgrounds. Both events promise to bring joy and wonder to those who attend.
This festival is like something out of a dream, you know? It's not just about the lights, it's about creating this magical experience that brings people together as a community. I love how they incorporated local kids' artwork into the design, it's such a cool way to give them a platform and make their creativity shine 
. The fact that it's open on holidays too is genius, so families can enjoy it with minimal fuss. It's like the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit! 
we rode on so many cool rides and played in these super fun zones, but what really got me was when they showed all the art contest entries from kids on a big screen 
it made me remember when i used to draw all day at school lol now im more of a messy adult 
anyway i think doca festival is such a great idea for san jose its so community driven and beautiful, plus the lights are TO. DIE. FOR 
cant wait to go back with my siblings this weekend 
i mean, who came up with the idea of using local kids' artwork for the festival? and why did they choose to have it open on holiday weekends? sounds like a clever marketing ploy to me... 
! like they got 5 whole acres of lights and over 40 handmade attractions 
. the cool thing is that its all about bringing back ur inner child, which i think we can all relate to after eating too much turkey on thanksgiving lol 
. anyway, its a super community-driven initiative where local kids even got their art displayed and its honestly so cute 
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I'm totally loving this idea of a community-driven festival! It's amazing how something as simple as an art contest can lead to such a magical experience for families. 
. And it's so cool that they're open on holidays, making it a great way for people to spend quality time together during the holiday season 
. I'm definitely adding this to my calendar and taking the fam there! 
! They're talkin' 5 acres of lit lights, 6 zones, and like 40 handmade things... it's a kid's dream come true! 
The pics are already poppin up on socials and trust me, it's gonna be MAGICAL 
and it's so great that they're open on holiday weekends, perfect excuse for fam outings 
can't wait to come back next year! 
i'm not even joking when i say my kids saw some of those art pieces that were inspired by local kids' drawings and their eyes just widened like "wow". it's gonna be a great holiday season in san jose for sure 
. Like, what's wrong with just having a solo light display or something? All these zones and magical characters are just gonna make people feel like kids again... and honestly, I think that's kinda annoying 
. Can't we just appreciate the lights for their own sake instead of trying to recreate some kind of nostalgic wonderland experience? And don't even get me started on how convenient it is that they're open on holidays – sounds like a total marketing ploy to me 
! They got like 5 acres lit up with colorful lights and 40 handmade attractions 