Holidays 2026 · checked September 23, 2026
Christmas lights in Northwest Arkansas
Where to see the lights this season: Fayetteville's Lights of the Ozarks (switch-on Friday, Nov 20), Bentonville's Lighting of the Square (Saturday, Nov 21), Eureka Springs' tree lighting, the drive-through displays, and the hotel and garden lights, with 2026 dates from each organizer's own page.
Orange pins and badges are open this weekend, from each place's posted schedule.
Downtown light displays
- Opens Nov 20Family-friendly
Downtown lights (free)
Lights of the Ozarks
Historic Downtown Square, Fayetteville
- When:
- Nov 20, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027. Light Night is Friday, Nov 20: the switch flips at 6 PM, then live music.
- Hours:
- Lights on 5 PM – 1 AM nightly
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- 500,000+ LED lights on the square; Santa's mailbox at the Visitors Center; leashed pets welcome. Monday is the easy night to drive around the square (East Ave closes to traffic the other nights).
- Opens Nov 21Family-friendly
Lighting ceremony (free)
Bentonville Lighting of the Square
Downtown Bentonville Square
- When:
- Saturday, Nov 21, 2026: lights on at 6 PM sharp
- Admission:
- Free
- What's there:
- More than 30 miles of lights downtown. (2025's program added Santa photos, Santa's Workshop and a Broadway-style show; 2026's lineup isn't posted yet.) How long the lights stay up isn't posted.
- Opens Nov 28Family-friendly
Town tree lighting (free)
Eureka Springs Tree Lighting (Christmas in Eureka)
Basin Spring Park, 4 Spring St, Eureka Springs
- When:
- Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, early evening (the city's listing says 5:30 PM; its description says 5 PM)
- What's there:
- A fiddling Santa and his elves light the town tree; storefront window contest
Drive-through lights
Stay in the car, turn up the radio. Neither has posted 2026 dates yet.
- Family-friendly
Ticketed drive-through light show
The Light Show NWA
Washington County Fairgrounds, 2537 N McConnell Ave, Fayetteville
- When:
- 2026 dates not posted yet. The 2025 season ran Nov 21 – Dec 31.
- Admission:
- 2025: $25–35 per car depending on the night (online is cheaper than the gate). 2026 prices not posted.
- What's there:
- Displays synced to music, a 30–45 minute drive; vehicles under 8 ft; pets can stay in the car
Open this year, but the details above aren't all posted for 2026. Check their site before you drive.
- Family-friendly
Drive-through lights (by donation)
Great Passion Play Drive-Through Lights
935 Passion Play Rd, Eureka Springs
- When:
- 2026 dates not posted yet. Last season ran Thanksgiving night through Jan 3.
- Admission:
- By donation
- What's there:
- A forest of 300+ Christmas trees and dozens of nativities on the way up to Christ of the Ozarks
Open this year, but the details above aren't all posted for 2026. Check their site before you drive.
Hotel & garden lights
- Opens Nov 27Family-friendly
Hotel lights, tree forest & holiday events
Christmastime at the 1886 Crescent Hotel
75 Prospect Ave, Eureka Springs
- When:
- Tree lighting Friday, Nov 27, 2026, 6 PM; the Christmas Tree Forest runs all December
- Hours:
- Holiday Hangout rooftop bar daily 4–8 PM from Nov 27 · Santa's Mountain Village Dec 12 & 19, noon–5 PM · sleigh rides Fri & Sat 5–7 PM (confirm the start date; the page's looks carried over from 2025)
- What's there:
- Lighted garden paths, sleigh rides through Glenwood Hollow, an ice pond for small kids
- Family-friendly
One-night garden lights celebration
Winter Glow at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
4703 N Crossover Rd, Fayetteville
- When:
- 2026 date not posted yet. 2025's was Dec 21 (the winter solstice), 5–8 PM.
- What's there:
- The garden wrapped in lights, stargazing, a holiday market and a fire-dance finale
Open this year, but the details above aren't all posted for 2026. Check their site before you drive.
On the calendar
Verified events for the season, updated every night.
- Sun, Oct 182PM
Halloween Family Movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG)
Family & Kids:Fayetteville Public Library· Fayetteville
Free - Sat, Nov 217:30PM
A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland
Arts & Culture:Walton Arts Center· Fayetteville
- Sun, Nov 222PM
Christmas with C.S. Lewis
Arts & Culture:Walton Arts Center· Fayetteville
Call ahead
These come up in older roundups, but nothing official confirms a 2026 season yet.
- The Stewart Family lights (Fayetteville). A huge private display with its own Facebook page; hours and prices come only from there and from roundups.
- Crystal Bridges North Forest lights. Last year's light installation ran into January; nothing is announced for 2026 yet.
- Christmas on the Creek (Springdale). The Shiloh Square tree lighting was the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2025; 2026's date isn't posted.
Quick answers
- When do the Lights of the Ozarks turn on in 2026?
- Friday, Nov 20, 2026, at 6 PM on the Fayetteville square (Light Night). After that they're on nightly, 5 PM–1 AM, through Jan 1, 2027. Free.
- When is the Bentonville Lighting of the Square?
- Saturday, Nov 21, 2026, with the lights coming on at 6 PM sharp.
- Are there drive-through Christmas lights in Northwest Arkansas?
- Yes: The Light Show NWA at the Washington County Fairgrounds (2025 ran Nov 21–Dec 31, $25–35 a car) and the Great Passion Play's drive-through in Eureka Springs (by donation). Neither has posted its 2026 dates yet.
- When is the Lights of the Ozarks parade?
- Thursday, Dec 3, 2026, at 6:30 PM, clockwise around the Fayetteville square.
Dates, hours and prices are as each business posted them on September 23, 2026, and they change. Spot something out of date, or run one we missed? Tell us.
Nobody paid to be on this list. Inclusion is editorial.