A family car driving past holiday lights on a snowy night
Lights 2026 · Knoxville

Christmas lights in Knoxville for little kids, picked for early bedtimes.

Five Christmas light displays in and around Knoxville have 2026 dates: all walk-throughs. Three are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 3:30 p.m. at Tour de Lights. One more ran last season but hasn’t posted 2026 dates yet. Each card has stroller notes where the venue gives them, the 2026 price and a link to tickets.

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

Last checked · How we choose

All 4 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

Smoky Night Lights

Zoo Knoxville (Boyd Foundation Boardwalk / Clayton Timber Loop) · Knoxville, TN

Walk-through
When
Select nights Nov 13, 2026 – Mar 28, 2027
Earliest start
5:30 p.m.
Price
Adult $15.95–$22.95; child/senior $13.95–$19.95; members $11.95–$15.95 (varies by date)
  • 5:30–9 p.m.
  • Music-and-light show on an elevated boardwalk
  • firepits and rocking chairs

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

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Light the Park

Founders Park / Campbell Station Road · Campbell Station Rd, Farragut, TN 37934

Walk-throughFreeSanta too
When
Nightly from Nov 24, 2026
Earliest start
Dusk
Price
Free
  • Dusk–10 p.m. (listed 6–10 p.m.); restrooms until 9 p.m. except Dec 25
  • Letters-to-Santa mailbox, nightly giveaways
  • Town of Farragut

Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.

Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Tour de Lights

Covenant Health Park · Knoxville, TN

Walk-throughFree
When
Sat Dec 12, 2026
Earliest start
3:30 p.m.
Price
Free
  • 3:30–7:30 p.m.; ride starts 6 p.m.
  • Watch decorated bikes roll through Old City, Fourth and Gill and downtown

Little-kid take: Opens at 3:30 p.m., so an early visit gets you home in time for bedtime.

Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Walk-through

Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting

Chilhowee Park Bandstand · Enter at 401 Lakeside Street, Knoxville, TN

Walk-throughFree
When
Fri Nov 20, 2026
Earliest start
6 p.m.
Price
Free
  • 6 p.m.

Little-kid take: Free, so it’s an easy one to try for a short visit.

Tickets / details ↗Directions

Checked Oct 18 on the official page

Report a problem
Worth the drive

Worth the drive from Knoxville

Bigger out-of-town shows parents make a night of. The drive time is on each card.

Walk-through

Smoky Mountain Christmas

Dollywood · Pigeon Forge, TN

Walk-throughAbout an hour (Pigeon Forge, TN)
When
Nov 6, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Earliest start
See park calendar
Price
Theme park admission (see site)
Tickets / details ↗

Checked Oct 18 · official page

Report a problem
Dates not posted yet
  • Christmas Never Ends drive-thru · Christmas Never Ends Dates not posted yet — check the official page (christmasneverends.com).

It ran last season. We’ll add it when 2026 dates go up.

Nov 1 – Jan 31

When each one is open

Nothing is lit yet. Smoky Night Lights opens first, on Nov 13. Smoky Night Lights runs into the new year.

Smoky Night Lights Nov 13 – Mar 28
Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting Nov 20
Light the Park Nov 24 on
Tour de Lights Dec 12
Nov 1Dec 1Jan 1
Early bedtime plan

Lights before bedtime

In early December the sun sets around 5:20 p.m. in Knoxville (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.

Tour de Lights

From 3:30 p.m. · stay until dusk

3:30 p.m.

Smoky Night Lights

5:30 p.m. start · plan about an hour

5:30 p.m.

Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting

6 p.m. start · plan about an hour

6 p.m.

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

No drive-thru with 2026 dates in town yet.

🚶 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: Smoky Night Lights, Light the Park, Tour de Lights, Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting

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
Smoky Night LightsAdult $15.95–$22.95; child/senior $13.95–$19.95; members $11.95–$15.95 (varies by date)See the venueWalk-through
Light the ParkFreeSee the venueWalk-through
Smoky Mountain ChristmasTheme park admission (see site)See the venueWalk-through · About an hour (Pigeon Forge, TN)
Tour de LightsFreeSee the venueWalk-through
Christmas at Chilhowee tree lightingFreeSee the venueWalk-through
Also this season

Want Santa with your lights?

See all 6 Santa outings in and around Knoxville: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.

Santa in Knoxville →
Good questions

Christmas lights in Knoxville: questions parents ask

Are there free Christmas lights in Knoxville?

Yes. Light the Park, Tour de Lights and Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting are free in 2026.

What’s the cheapest Christmas light show in Knoxville?

Going by the lowest posted 2026 price: Smoky Night Lights (Adult $15.95–$22.95; child/senior $13.95–$19.95; members $11.95–$15.95 (varies by date)). Check whether a price is per car or per person before you compare.

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

We didn’t find a drive-thru with 2026 dates yet. Walk-throughs (five here) are better for kids who want to run around.

What time do the Christmas lights start in Knoxville? We have an early bedtime.

The earliest evening starts: Tour de Lights at 3:30 p.m., Smoky Night Lights at 5:30 p.m. and Christmas at Chilhowee tree lighting at 6 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 19, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.

Keep planning: This week in Knoxville · Knoxville city guide · Visiting Knoxville

Get the weekend plan, holiday dates included.

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