Lights 2026 · Greensboro–Winston-Salem

Christmas lights in Greensboro–Winston-Salem for little kids, picked for early bedtimes.

Three Christmas light displays in and around Greensboro–Winston-Salem have 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru and 2 walk-throughs. None are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 5:30 p.m. at Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro. They’re in Greensboro and Clemmons.

3displays with dates
1drive-thru
0free
5:30 pmearliest evening start

Last checked · How we choose

All 3 displays

Pick tonight’s lights

Tap a filter to narrow it down. Every card has hours, price and what it’s like with a little one.

Walk-through

Winter Wonderlights

Greensboro Science Center · 4301 Lawndale Dr., Greensboro, NC 27455

Walk-through
When
Nov 18, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Earliest start
Evenings
Price
See the ticket page
  • Over a million lights, lanterns and a glowing tunnel
  • A sensory-friendly night runs Nov 17, 5:30–9pm, with tickets at the door

Checked Oct 29 on the official page

Report a problem
Drive-thru

Tanglewood Festival of Lights

Tanglewood Park · Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC

Drive-thru
When
Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027
Earliest start
Nightly 6–11pm
Price
Per car: $20 cash ($23 card) Mon–Thu, $25 cash ($28 card) Fri–Sun
  • A drive-through show with over a million LED lights
  • Riding in truck beds is not allowed

Little-kid take: Stays in the car: the easiest pick with a baby or a toddler who may fall asleep. PJs on, car seat buckled, no stroller needed.

Checked Oct 29 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro

LeBauer Park and Center City Park · 208 North Davie Street, Greensboro, NC

Walk-through
When
Fri Dec 4, 2026
Earliest start
5:30 p.m.
  • 5:30–9:30 p.m.
  • Tree lighting at Center City Park and the Merry Marketplace in LeBauer Park, with holiday music

Little-kid take: Opens at 5:30 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.

Checked Oct 29 on the official page

Report a problem
Nov 1 – Jan 3

When each one is open

Nothing is lit yet. Tanglewood Festival of Lights opens first, on Nov 13. Tanglewood Festival of Lights and Winter Wonderlights run into the new year.

Tanglewood Festival of Lights Nov 13 – Jan 1
Winter Wonderlights Nov 18 – Jan 3
Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro Dec 4
Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1
Early bedtime plan

Lights before bedtime

In early December the sun sets around 5:05 p.m. in Triad (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.

Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro

5:30 p.m. start · plan about an hour

5:30 p.m.

Tanglewood Festival of Lights

11 p.m. start · plan about an hour

Nightly 6–11pm

Drive-thru or walk-through?

Which is better for little kids?

🚗 Stay in the car

  • Babies and toddlers stay warm and buckled, PJs and all
  • No stroller, no mitten battles, no lost hats
  • A car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime
  • Check the listing for timed slots and refund rules

Pick: Tanglewood Festival of Lights

🚶 Get out and walk

  • Kids 3 and up love running ahead to the next display
  • Bring the stroller where the venue allows it (see each card)
  • Plan a snack stop and a bathroom break
  • Check sensory notes for bright lights and crowds

Picks: Winter Wonderlights, Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro

Bring along

The little-kid lights kit

Mittens on a stringLittle hands get cold fast after dark.
Warm drink in a thermosA treat to look forward to at the halfway point.
Hat and a blanketFor the stroller, or the car once the heat is off.
PJs before you goSo a car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime.
2026 prices

Prices at a glance

From each venue’s own page. Check whether a price is per car or per person before you book.

DisplayPriceLittle kidsGood to know
Winter WonderlightsSee the ticket pageSee the venueWalk-through
Tanglewood Festival of LightsPer car: $20 cash ($23 card) Mon–Thu, $25 cash ($28 card) Fri–SunSee the venueDrive-thru
Also this season

Want Santa with your lights?

See all 4 Santa outings in and around Triad: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.

Santa in Triad →
Good questions

Christmas lights in Greensboro–Winston-Salem: questions parents ask

Are there free Christmas lights in Greensboro–Winston-Salem?

None of the light shows with 2026 dates that we found are free. The lowest prices are listed in “2026 prices at a glance”.

What’s the cheapest Christmas light show in Greensboro–Winston-Salem?

Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Tanglewood Festival of Lights (Per car: $20 cash ($23 card) Mon–Thu, $25 cash ($28 card) Fri–Sun). Check whether a price is per car or per person before you compare.

Drive-thru or walk-through: which is better with little kids?

With a baby or a sleepy toddler, a drive-thru is easiest: they stay buckled in and warm. One of the 3 displays can be driven: Tanglewood Festival of Lights. Walk-throughs (two here) are better for kids who want to run around.

What time do the Christmas lights start in Greensboro–Winston-Salem? We have an early bedtime.

The earliest evening starts: Festival of Lights in Downtown Greensboro at 5:30 p.m. and Tanglewood Festival of Lights at 11 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.

How do you check these Christmas lights listings?

Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page, and links to it. We list dates, times and prices only when that page shows them for 2026; anything without posted dates goes in “Dates not posted yet” instead. These were last checked Oct 30, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Get the weekend plan, holiday dates included.

One short email every Thursday evening with what works for ages 0–6 in Triad that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.

Every year

Light displays that come back every year

Each of these comes back every year. Its page keeps the last confirmed dates, and the new ones go up there once they’re posted.

By month

More dates for little kids in Triad

Things to do with kids in Greensboro–Winston-Salem in November · Things to do with kids in Greensboro–Winston-Salem in December