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Holiday light displays near Raleigh in 2026 include the NC Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary (November 21 to January 10), FestiBull of Lights at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (November 19 to January 2) and drive-through shows at Fantasy Lake in Wake Forest (November 6 to January 1) and Fieldstream Farm in south Raleigh (November 27 to December 31). For free lights, try the Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park in Wake Forest (December 5 to 31) or Meadow Lights in Benson, where there is no charge to see the lights.
Every date, time and price below comes from the group that runs the display, and each one links to its source. Where a detail is not posted yet, we say so. Hours can change with the weather, so check the source page before you head out.
Quick look: 2026 Triangle holiday light dates
- Nov 6 to Jan 1: Fantasy Lake Christmas drive-through lights, Wake Forest
- Nov 19 to Jan 2: FestiBull of Lights, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Durham (closed some nights)
- Nov 20 to Dec 31: Meadow Lights, Benson
- Nov 21 to Jan 10: NC Chinese Lantern Festival, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
- Nov 27 to Dec 31: Fieldstream Farm drive-through lights, south Raleigh
- Dec 1 to 17: Pullen Park Holiday Express, Raleigh (sold out for 2026)
- Wednesdays to Sundays in December, starting Dec 2: Holidays in the Park, Museum of Life and Science, Durham
- Dec 2: American Tobacco Campus Tower Lighting, Durham
- Dec 5 to 31: Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park, Wake Forest (free)
- Dec 12: Winter Lantern Walk, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh (free with registration)
Drive-through Christmas lights near Raleigh
These shows let you stay warm in your car. Fantasy Lake and Fieldstream Farm sell tickets by the vehicle, not by the person, and Meadow Lights is free to see from the road or the parking lot.
Fantasy Lake Christmas (Wake Forest)
Dates: November 6, 2026, to January 1, 2027
Hours: Drive-through lights 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly; Christmas Village 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Place: Fantasy Lake Adventure Park, 3601 Quarry Road, Wake Forest
Cost: Standard vehicle (1 to 9 passengers) $39.99 Monday to Thursday and $49.99 Friday to Sunday. Vehicles with 10 or more passengers are $69.99 and $79.99.
Source: Fantasy Lake
This is Fantasy Lake's first Christmas season. The light show is set to seven holiday songs that you play through your FM radio or the Tune2 app. You stay in your car for the drive, then you can park and walk around the Christmas Village. Santa is there Thursdays to Sundays until Christmas Eve. You do not need an arrival time slot. Food, drinks and Christmas trees are sold separately.
Fieldstream Farm (south Raleigh)
Dates: November 27 to December 31, 2026
Hours: Monday to Thursday 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday 6:30 to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Place: 8008 Old Stage Road, Raleigh
Cost: $20 per vehicle with 1 to 8 passengers, $40 for vans and buses with 9 to 18 passengers and $75 for buses with 19 or more. The farm says these prices include Etix fees and tax.
Source: Fieldstream Farm, hours and tickets
The farm says its drive-through show has more than 3 million lights and a tunnel lit with more than 200,000 LED lights. It stays open in the rain, and it lists Monday to Thursday as the best nights to visit.
Meadow Lights (Benson)
Dates: November 20 to December 31, 2026
Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. nightly
Place: 4550 Godwin Lake Road, Benson, in Johnston County (Meadow Lights gives directions from Raleigh by I-40 East to exit 334)
Cost: Free to see the lights. Train ride $3 per person, carousel $3 per person, Santa visits free and pictures $8.
Source: Meadow Lights schedule and FAQ
Meadow Lights says its display covers more than 30 acres. All of the lights can be seen from the road or the parking lot, and the train takes you through the main field. Walking through the field is not allowed. Santa is there every night through December 24. There are no reservations, so Meadow Lights suggests coming early in the evening and early in the season.
Walk-through light shows
NC Chinese Lantern Festival (Cary)
Dates: November 21, 2026, to January 10, 2027
Hours: Open daily 6 to 10 p.m. (arrive by 9 p.m.). Twilight Session tickets let you in at 4:30 p.m. On Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, gates are open 6 to 9 p.m. with no Twilight Session. Closed Christmas Day.
Place: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary
Cost: Ticketed. Choose Any Night, Twilight Session or Evening Session tickets; see the festival page for current prices. Children 2 and under are free. General parking in the amphitheatre lots is free, and preferred parking is $10 in advance or $15 the night of.
Source: Koka Booth Amphitheatre
This is the festival's eleventh year, with more than 40 lantern groupings and a new 164-foot floating display on Symphony Lake. The festival says most guests take 45 to 75 minutes to walk through. Tickets are mobile only, the venue is cashless, and evening ticket prices go up if you buy on the day of your visit. Sunday to Thursday nights have discounts for military, seniors 55 and up and college students with ID. A Sensory-Friendly Night is on Tuesday, December 1.
FestiBull of Lights (Durham)
Dates: November 19, 2026, to January 2, 2027. Closed November 26 and 30 and December 7, 14 and 25.
Hours: 5:30 to 9 p.m.; last entry 8:30 p.m.
Place: Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell Street, Durham
Cost: $12 per person in advance or $13 on the day. Tickets are needed for guests 3 and up. The NC by Train Holiday Express ride is a $5 add-on.
Source: FestiBull of Lights event page
The ballpark becomes a walk-through light show set to holiday music, with a holiday slide, s'mores and fire pits, a craft zone and nightly visits with Santa through Christmas Eve. Train seats are limited each night.
Holidays in the Park at the Museum of Life and Science (Durham)
Dates: Wednesdays to Sundays in December, starting December 2, 2026
Hours: Each ticket has its own entry time; times are shown when you buy.
Place: Museum of Life and Science, 433 W. Murray Avenue, Durham
Cost: $18 per person for admission, or $21 with a ride on the Ellerbe Creek Railway. Guests 2 and under are free with a paying adult.
Source: Museum of Life and Science and its Explore page
Lit paths run from the Magic Wings Butterfly House to the Dinosaur Trail, and the train loops past more light displays. Tickets went on sale to the public October 30 at 9 a.m. If you buy the train add-on, your train time is 20 minutes after your entry time. On Wednesday, December 2, the 5:55 p.m. entry time is set aside for guests with sensory processing needs.
Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park (Wake Forest)
Dates: December 5 to 31, 2026
Hours: 6 to 9 p.m. nightly
Place: E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, Wake Forest
Cost: Free
Source: Town of Wake Forest
Walk through the Walker Garden and Performance Garden to see colorful lights on the crepe myrtles and shrubs, plus a Christmas tree nearly 20 feet tall on the Performance Garden stage.
One-night lightings and sold-out shows
American Tobacco Campus Tower Lighting (Durham)
Dates: Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m.
Place: American Tobacco Campus Lawn, 318 Blackwell Street, Durham
Cost: Not posted yet
Source: American Tobacco Campus
The Lucky Strike Tower lights up at the same time as the WRAL Tower in Raleigh and the Rocky Mount Mills tower, with a live TV portion on WRAL. American Tobacco Campus says live music is planned and more details are coming.
Winter Lantern Walk (Raleigh)
Dates: Saturday, December 12, 2026
Hours: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (the procession starts at 5:30 p.m.)
Place: Museum Park Ellipse, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
Cost: Free with registration
Source: North Carolina Museum of Art
Here you bring the light. Make your own paper lantern at home and use a battery light, since candles and flames are not allowed.
Pullen Park Holiday Express (Raleigh)
Dates: December 1 to 17, 2026
Hours: See the City of Raleigh page
Place: Pullen Park, 520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh
Cost: $21 plus tax and fees. The City says 2026 tickets are sold out.
Source: City of Raleigh
If you already have tickets, the City describes festive lights and seasonal activities around the park.
Town tree lightings
Many Triangle towns light their own tree in late November or early December, including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Durham and Fuquay-Varina. We list each date, time and place in our guide to Christmas parades and tree lightings in the Triangle 2026. For everything else happening this month, see our list of the best events in the Triangle this November.
Tips for seeing holiday lights in the Triangle
- Buy tickets early. Several shows sell a limited number of tickets each night, and Pullen Park Holiday Express is already sold out for 2026.
- Try a weeknight. Fantasy Lake charges less Monday to Thursday, Fieldstream Farm lists Monday to Thursday as its best nights, and the Lantern Festival has Sunday to Thursday discounts.
- Know the closed nights. The Lantern Festival is closed Christmas Day, and FestiBull of Lights is closed November 26 and 30 and December 7, 14 and 25.
- Set your radio. At Fantasy Lake, the music plays through your FM radio or the Tune2 app.
- Dress for the weather. The Lantern Festival, FestiBull of Lights and the museum walk are outdoors, and they run after dark.
Exploring the Triangle this season?
Holiday lights are a fun way to get to know a town after dark. If you are looking at homes, our area guides for Cary and Wake Forest cover parks, downtowns and neighborhoods. Thinking about selling instead? Request a free home value report, or contact us or call (919) 263-7653 with questions.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see Christmas lights near Raleigh in 2026?
Options include the NC Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary (November 21 to January 10), FestiBull of Lights in Durham (November 19 to January 2), Fantasy Lake in Wake Forest (November 6 to January 1), Fieldstream Farm in south Raleigh (November 27 to December 31) and Meadow Lights in Benson (November 20 to December 31).
Are there drive-through Christmas lights near Raleigh?
Yes. Fantasy Lake in Wake Forest and Fieldstream Farm in south Raleigh are drive-through shows that sell tickets by the vehicle. At Meadow Lights in Benson, you can see the lights from the road or the parking lot.
Are there free Christmas lights in the Triangle?
Yes. The Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park in Wake Forest is free, December 5 to 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. Meadow Lights in Benson does not charge to see the lights, though its train and carousel cost $3 per person. The Winter Lantern Walk at the North Carolina Museum of Art on December 12 is free with registration.
How long does the NC Chinese Lantern Festival take?
The festival says most guests take about 45 to 75 minutes to walk through all the displays. It is open daily from 6 to 10 p.m., with Twilight Session entry at 4:30 p.m., and closed on Christmas Day.
What nights is FestiBull of Lights closed?
FestiBull of Lights runs November 19, 2026, to January 2, 2027, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. It is closed November 26, November 30, December 7, December 14 and December 25.
Sources checked October 30, 2026: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, NC Chinese Lantern Festival; Fantasy Lake Christmas; Fieldstream Farm tickets; Fieldstream Farm hours; Meadow Lights schedule; Meadow Lights FAQ; FestiBull of Lights; Museum of Life and Science, Holidays in the Park; Town of Wake Forest, Tis the Season; American Tobacco Campus, ATC Tower Lighting; NCMA, Winter Lantern Walk; City of Raleigh, Pullen Park Holiday Express. Dates, hours and prices are set by each organizer and can change.
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