Norfolk holiday lights 2026: Garden of Lights Nov. 6 to Jan. 3, Winterfest on the Wisconsin, Santa at the Yule Log market Dec. 5 and Cookies with Santa Dec. 12.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from Norfolk Botanical Garden, Nauticus, Norfolk Festevents, the Virginia Zoo and Norfolk Parks and Recreation’s course guide, each linked.

Norfolk’s big light show, the Dominion Energy Garden of Lights, opens Nov. 6 and runs to Jan. 3, 2027. Santa comes to the waterfront for the free Holiday Yule Log Bonfire on Saturday, Dec. 5. The Grand Illumination Parade and the downtown skyline lighting are on a separate page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Who to call

  • Garden of Lights, mobility shuttle bookings: Norfolk Botanical Garden Visitor Services, 757-441-5830, ext. 0
  • Virginia Zoo: 757-441-2374
  • City recreation events: Norfolk Parks and Recreation, 757-823-4291
  • City services: Norfolk Cares, 757-664-6510

Light displays

Dominion Energy Garden of Lights

At Norfolk Botanical Garden, 6700 Azalea Garden Road, from Nov. 6, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. It is a walk-through show; the garden says it has more than 1.5 million lights. From the garden’s page:

  • Everyone 3 and older needs a ticket. Prices differ on Value Nights and Popular Nights, and members pay less; the city admission tax is added.
  • Barks and Bulbs: dogs welcome Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
  • Meet the Elves: Tuesday evenings, 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Mobility Shuttle: for guests who cannot walk the route, nightly from 5 p.m.; seats are limited and booked through Visitor Services, 757-441-5830, ext. 0.
  • Parking is free. A military discount applies on Value Nights.

Winterfest on the Wisconsin

Nauticus, 1 Waterside Drive, turns the battleship USS Wisconsin and the waterfront into a light festival each winter. 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked. In 2025 it opened Nov. 14 and ran through Dec. 31, with an indoor attraction, the Kingdom of the Snow Queen, Nauticus said. The same season added the free Winterfest Riverwalk, a mile-long lighted trail from the Pagoda and Oriental Gardens around the battleship and through Town Point Park, lit nightly from 5 to 11 p.m., plus ice skating in Fountain Park next to Waterside. Winterfest won ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight in December 2025 (Nauticus).

Santa visits

  • Holiday Yule Log Bonfire and Holiday Marketplace, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Town Point Park: Santa, caroling, local artisans and a Yule log bonfire. Free, Norfolk Festevents says.
  • Cookies with Santa, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at Fairlawn Recreation Center: cookie decorating, cocoa and holiday stories with Santa. Free, all ages (course guide).
  • The same guide lists free Breakfast with Santa at Norview Community Center (757-441-1440), Pancakes with Santa and a first Lunch with Santa for ages 5 to 12, with dates on NorfolkFun.

Holiday markets and runs

  • Holidays in the Wild: Holiday Market at the Virginia Zoo: local artisans, carolers and festive enrichment for the animals, free with zoo admission. The zoo’s calendar lists 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13; the event text still says Dec. 6, so check the page.
  • Tacky Sweater 5K, 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, a run and walk that starts and finishes behind Afterglow Brewing in the Railroad District and uses part of the Elizabeth River Trail. It raises money for EVMS Dermatology (race page).
  • Miracle on Waterside Drive, a holiday pop-up cocktail bar at Waterside District, Nov. 21 to Dec. 27 (Waterside).

Holiday concerts

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s December concerts in Norfolk, from its calendar; tickets required:

Concert When Where
Classical Christmas 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3 Harrison Opera House
Handel’s Messiah 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11 Harrison Opera House
Holiday Brass 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 Attucks Theatre
Holiday POPS! 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18 Harrison Opera House

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4. Chabad of Tidewater has held public menorah lightings and a menorah car parade in past years; its Chanukah page carries this year’s plans when posted.

Trash around Christmas

Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24: no change. Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25: Friday routes move to Saturday, Dec. 26. Call in bulk items by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, the city’s holiday schedule says.

What this means for you

  • Book Garden of Lights tickets early for Popular Nights; Value Nights cost less.
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, is the busiest day: the Tacky Sweater 5K in the morning and the waterfront bonfire and market from noon.
  • New Year’s plans are in our New Year’s Eve in Norfolk guide.

Related guides: Black Friday and holiday shopping, Thanksgiving in Norfolk and trash and recycling.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Garden of Lights open in 2026?

The Dominion Energy Garden of Lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden runs Nov. 6, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. It is a walk-through show, tickets are required for anyone 3 and older, and parking is free.

Can I bring my dog to the Garden of Lights?

Yes, on Barks and Bulbs nights, Wednesday and Sunday evenings, the garden says.

Where can kids see Santa in Norfolk?

Santa visits the free Holiday Yule Log Bonfire and Holiday Marketplace at Town Point Park on Saturday, Dec. 5, and Cookies with Santa at Fairlawn Recreation Center, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, is free.

Is Winterfest on the Wisconsin back in 2026?

Nauticus had not posted 2026 dates when we checked. In 2025 Winterfest ran from Nov. 14 through Dec. 31, and the free Winterfest Riverwalk lit the waterfront nightly from 5 to 11 p.m.