New England Holiday Light Shows 2026: Drive-Through and Walk-Through Displays, Dates and Prices
New England's big holiday light shows run from mid-November into the first days of January. This guide compares the main ones for 2026: Gardens Aglow in Boothbay, Maine, Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, ZooLights at Stone Zoo in Stoneham, the free La Salette Christmas Festival of Lights in Attleboro, and Sparkling Lights at The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. We also cover two one-night light festivals on December 5. Dates and prices were checked against each organizer's website in late September 2026.
The shows at a glance
| Show | Town | 2026 season | Drive or walk | Price | Tickets in advance? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardens Aglow | Boothbay, ME | Nov 14 – Jan 2 (Thu–Sun plus select dates) | Walk-through, about a mile | Adults $20–$28, children $10–$18 | Yes. Timed tickets, no onsite sales |
| Bright Nights at Forest Park | Springfield, MA | Nov 25 – Jan 3 | Drive-through, three miles | $30 per car plus $2 fee; $20 plus fee from Dec 28 | Yes, online |
| ZooLights at Stone Zoo | Stoneham, MA | Nov 20 – Jan 3 | Walk-through | Not yet posted; under 2 free | Tickets required for all guests |
| La Salette Festival of Lights | Attleboro, MA | Nov 21 – Jan 3, nightly | Walk-through | Free (donations welcome) | No |
| Sparkling Lights at The Breakers | Newport, RI | Select evenings, Nov 21 – Dec 27 | Walk-through, half-mile path | Adults $45 (members $30), youth $18, under 6 free | Yes. Timed entry, on sale Oct 1 |
| Taunton Lights On Festival | Taunton, MA | Sat, Dec 5, 3–8 p.m. | Walk-through displays on the green | No price listed | No price or ticket listed |
| Saco Holiday Festival & Parade of Lights | Saco, ME | Sat, Dec 5 | Parade on Main Street | No price listed | No price or ticket listed |
Gardens Aglow, Boothbay, Maine
Gardens Aglow lights Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens with more than 750,000 LED bulbs along about a mile of paths. The 2026 theme is "Gathered In Maine."
- Dates: November 14, 2026 through January 2, 2027, Thursday through Sunday plus select extra dates
- Hours: 4–9 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
- Price: adults $20, $24 or $28 depending on the date; seniors and veterans $18–$26; children $10–$18
- Tickets: timed, sold only in advance online or at (207) 633-8000. There are no onsite sales.
- Parking: free, with a Friday-through-Sunday shuttle from the Boothbay Harbor Town Office for ticket holders
Read our full guide: Gardens Aglow 2026: Tickets, Dates and Tips for the Boothbay Light Show.
Bright Nights at Forest Park, Springfield, Massachusetts
Bright Nights is a drive-through show: three miles and more than 750,000 lights in Forest Park, with displays like Seuss Land and the Blizzard Tunnel. You stay in your car and tune to WELF 100.7 FM for music.
- Dates: November 25, 2026 through January 3, 2027; closed November 30 and December 1
- Hours: 5–9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5–10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and holidays
- Price: $30 per car plus a $2 ticket fee through December 27; $20 plus the fee from December 28 to January 3. Vehicles seating 9 to 16 are $50.
- Tickets: buy in advance online. A $70 season pass is limited to the first 400 buyers and the offer ends November 1.
- Where: set your GPS to 295 Sumner Avenue, Springfield
Read our full guide: Bright Nights at Forest Park 2026: Dates, Per-Car Prices and Tips.
ZooLights at Stone Zoo, Stoneham, Massachusetts
ZooLights is a walk-through display on tree-lined paths at Stone Zoo, with the Carousel and other rides running each night. This year Yukon Creek becomes a candy-themed winter scene with a model train.
- Dates: November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027; closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
- Hours: 4–9 p.m.
- Price: Zoo New England had not posted individual prices as of late September. Children under 2 are free. Groups of 20 or more pay $12 each, except Saturdays and Thanksgiving weekend.
- Tickets: required for every guest. Library passes are not valid for ZooLights.
- Parking: free, in the lot in front of the entrance off Pond Street
Read our full guide: ZooLights at Stone Zoo 2026: Dates, Hours and What to Know Before You Go.
La Salette Christmas Festival of Lights, Attleboro, Massachusetts
The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette lights its grounds with more than one million lights every night of the season, and entry is free. The 2026–2027 theme is "Christ, Light of Peace."
- Dates: November 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027
- Hours: lights on every night, 5–9 p.m.
- Price: free; donations welcome
- Extras: the International Creche Museum (about 2,000 nativity scenes) is open daily 10 a.m.–9 p.m. On Friday through Sunday evenings there are photos with Santa, a carousel, a hayride and a "Ride to Bethlehem."
- Traffic: the shrine says cars can back up a quarter-mile in each direction on busy nights, and it may close for bad weather
Read our full guide: La Salette Christmas Festival of Lights 2026: Free Nightly Lights in Attleboro, MA.
Sparkling Lights at The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island
Sparkling Lights is the evening part of Holidays at the Newport Mansions. A half-mile path across The Breakers' grounds is lit with hundreds of thousands of lights, and your ticket includes the decorated rooms inside the house. It's a separate ticket from daytime mansion tours.
- Dates: select evenings, November 21 through December 27, 2026
- Hours: 4–8 p.m.; timed entry every half hour from 4 to 6 p.m.
- Price: $45 adult non-members, $30 adult members, $18 youth, free under 6
- Tickets: on sale October 1, 2026. All sales are final unless the event is canceled for hazardous weather.
- Parking: free on site
Read our full guide: Holidays at the Newport Mansions 2026: Hours, Tickets and Sparkling Lights at The Breakers.
One-night light festivals on December 5
- Taunton Lights On Festival, Taunton, MA. Saturday, December 5, 3–8 p.m. The 113th Lighting of the Taunton Green in "The Christmas City," with a giant tree, walk-through displays and entertainment around downtown. The display stays up on the green through New Year's Day, and downtown parking is free nights and weekends.
- Saco Holiday Festival and Parade of Lights, Saco, ME. Saturday, December 5. Lit floats and dancers come down Main Street, and Santa arrives on the fire boat. Times aren't posted yet; check Saco Main Street's site closer to the date.
Gift of Lights at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Gift of Lights at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon has run in past holiday seasons. Its 2026 dates have not been announced yet, so check the speedway's website later in the fall.
Free light displays
- La Salette Christmas Festival of Lights, Attleboro, MA: free every night, November 21 – January 3, 5–9 p.m. Donations welcome.
- Bowen's Wharf Christmas Tree Lighting, Newport, RI: Saturday, December 5. Festivities start around 12 p.m., Santa arrives by boat (weather permitting), and the tree is lit at 6 p.m. Free.
The Taunton and Saco events above are outdoor festivals on a town green and a main street. Their listings don't post an admission price, so check with the organizer if cost matters.
Tips for planning your night
- Book timed tickets early. Gardens Aglow sells tickets only in advance, so a sold-out date is closed to you that night. Sparkling Lights uses timed entry, with tickets on sale October 1.
- Check which nights a show runs. Gardens Aglow is open Thursday through Sunday plus select dates. Bright Nights is closed November 30 and December 1. Sparkling Lights runs on select evenings only.
- Weekend extras. At La Salette, Santa photos, the carousel, the hayride and the Ride to Bethlehem run Friday through Sunday only.
- Save after Christmas. Bright Nights drops to $20 per car plus the fee from December 28 to January 3.
- Prices change by date. Gardens Aglow prices depend on the date you pick, from $20 to $28 for adults.
- Dress for the walk. Four of these shows are on foot outdoors. Gardens Aglow asks guests to dress in layers and wear sturdy shoes because paths can be snowy or icy.
- Leave dogs at home. Gardens Aglow, ZooLights and the Newport Mansions allow service animals only.
Q: Is there a drive-through Christmas light show in New England?
Yes. Bright Nights at Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a drive-through show: three miles and more than 750,000 lights, November 25, 2026 through January 3, 2027. It costs $30 per car plus a $2 fee through December 27, and $20 plus the fee after that.
Q: Are there free Christmas light displays in New England?
Yes. The La Salette Christmas Festival of Lights in Attleboro, Massachusetts, is free every night from November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027, 5 to 9 p.m., with donations welcome. The Bowen's Wharf Christmas Tree Lighting in Newport, Rhode Island, on December 5 is also free.
Q: Do I need to buy light show tickets in advance?
For Gardens Aglow, yes: tickets are sold only in advance, with no onsite sales. Bright Nights tickets must also be bought ahead online, and Sparkling Lights at The Breakers uses timed tickets that go on sale October 1. La Salette needs no ticket.
Q: When do holiday light shows start in New England in 2026?
Gardens Aglow opens first, on November 14. ZooLights starts November 20, La Salette and Sparkling Lights on November 21, and Bright Nights on November 25. Most run into the first days of January.
Q: Is Gift of Lights at New Hampshire Motor Speedway happening in 2026?
2026 dates not yet announced. Check the speedway's website later in the fall.
Related reading
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Maine 2026
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in New Hampshire 2026
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Vermont 2026
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Massachusetts 2026
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Rhode Island 2026
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Connecticut 2026
- Strawbery Banke Candlelight Stroll 2026: Dates, Arrival Windows, Tickets and Parking
- Christmas by Candlelight at Old Sturbridge Village 2026
Details in this guide come from the organizers' websites (Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Bright Nights at Forest Park, Zoo New England, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette and the Preservation Society of Newport County) as of late September 2026; the Taunton and Saco details come from their listings on this site. Confirm dates, hours and prices on each show's official site before you go.
Last updated: September 2026
