The Tanglewood Festival of Lights is a drive-through Christmas light show at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC, about 10 minutes west of Winston-Salem. For 2026 it runs nightly from November 13 through January 1, 2027, from 6 to 11 p.m. Admission is $20 cash per family vehicle Monday through Thursday and $25 cash Friday through Sunday.
If you are looking for a festive way to kick off the holidays in the Triad, this is the one I recommend to every mom I know. Tanglewood Park is just a short drive from my house and every year it transforms into a winter wonderland with more than a million twinkling lights. We go every single year and it has become the tradition my kids count down to.
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Tanglewood Festival of Lights 2026 at a Glance
Table of Contents
- Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 1, 2027 (open every night, holidays included)
- Hours: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Weeknight admission (Mon to Thu): $20 cash or $23 card per family vehicle
- Weekend admission (Fri to Sun): $25 cash or $28 card per family vehicle
- Discount nights: November 16, 17, 23 and 24 ($10 cash per family vehicle)
- Address: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012
- Phone: (336) 703-6400
What to Expect at the Tanglewood Park Christmas Lights
The Christmas lights at Tanglewood Park are truly a sight to behold. The route winds for roughly five miles through the park, past storybook scenes and holiday displays lit by more than a million LED lights. You will spot candy canes and snowflakes, giant Christmas trees and festive wreaths around every curve. We turn up our Christmas playlist, crack the windows just enough to hear the kids squeal and take it slow. It is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit no matter how old you are.
S’moresville and the Festival of Lights Gift Shop
About halfway through the route you will reach the Gift Village at the Red Barn. This is where we always stop to stretch our legs. The gift shop is packed with holiday crafts, specialty foods and handmade gifts from local artisans, and we pick up the annual Festival of Lights ornament every year for our tree.
Right outside the gift shop is S’moresville, where you can roast marshmallows by the fire. Roasting sticks with marshmallows or full s’mores kits are sold on site, and you cannot bring your own sticks or food for roasting. If you want to shop without the line, the gift shop also hosts a daytime Holiday Market from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, Saturday, December 5 and Saturday, December 12.
New for 2026: Tanglewood Drone Skytale
This year Tanglewood Park is adding a drone light show with 300 illuminated drones that tells the story of Ember, a young cardinal on a mission to bring back holiday spirit. It runs on ten nights only: November 14, 15, 19 and 24 and December 4, 5, 9, 12, 18 and 19. Tickets are $80 per vehicle and include a Festival of Lights drive-through pass for that night or any future night. Tickets must be bought online in advance through Brightwave FX. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and you park and walk to an outdoor viewing area, so bring chairs and blankets.
Carriage Rides and Hayrides
Want to make it extra special? Horse-drawn carriage rides for up to four people are $110 cash or check and tractor-pulled hayrides are $190 cash or check, both plus Festival of Lights admission. Both are reservation only and fill up fast, so call the Tanglewood Stables at (336) 766-9540 as early as you can.
When Is the Best Time to Visit?
Go on a weeknight early in the season if you can. Monday through Thursday is cheaper and the lines are much shorter. December weekends, especially the ones right before Christmas, can mean a wait of several hours. The four 2026 discount nights cut admission in half, but expect those to be busy too. Tanglewood also posts live traffic cameras on the official Festival of Lights page so you can check the line before you leave home.
My Tips for Visiting the Tanglewood Festival of Lights With Kids
- Bring cash: Paying cash saves $3 on admission and the gift shop adds a 2.75% fee to card purchases.
- Dress warmly: It gets chilly at night, so dress in layers and don’t forget coats, gloves and hats. I keep a Bedsure sherpa throw blanket for each kid in the back seat so they can snuggle in while we wait in line.
- Pack hot cocoa: Make a batch of our favorite hot cocoa before you leave and fill a Stanley Classic Legendary 1.5 qt bottle. It stays hot for hours. For little hands, a Thermos FUNtainer 10 oz food jar is spill resistant and perfect for cocoa in the car.
- Hand out light glasses: Holiday Specs Christmas light glasses turn every bulb into a tiny snowflake. My kids wear them the whole route and it makes long waits so much easier.
- Charge your phone: You will want photos and video of everything. Toss an Anker 10,000mAh power bank in the console so your phone does not die halfway through.
- Pack some snacks: Lines can be long, so bring snacks and drinks to keep everyone fueled up.
- Make a restroom stop before you get in line: There are restrooms at the Gift Village, but it is always a good idea to go before you get caught in the line to enter the park.
- Keep everyone inside the car: For safety, riding in the back of a pickup truck or on a trailer is not allowed.
- Use the right entrance: Enter from Clemmons Road (Highway 158). Some GPS apps send you to the Idols Road gate, and you will be turned around.
Make It a Holiday Tradition
The best part of visiting Tanglewood Park for the Christmas lights is the memories. Whether we are sipping cocoa and singing carols or just soaking in the lights, it is a night we all cherish. We like to make a whole season of it. We pick out our tree at a Christmas tree farm, bake a few batches from my easy Christmas cookie recipes and have the kids open a free printable letter from Santa the morning after our light show night. I plan it all in my printable Christmas planner so nothing gets missed.
Bonus tip: if you want to skip the drive home, guests at the Excelsior at the Manor House Bed and Breakfast inside Tanglewood Park get free Festival of Lights admission with their room key.
Shop This Post
- Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket
- Stanley Classic Legendary Vacuum Bottle, 1.5 qt
- Thermos FUNtainer Kids Food Jar, 10 oz
- Holiday Specs Christmas Light Glasses, 25 Pack
- Anker Power Bank, 10,000mAh
Tanglewood Festival of Lights FAQ
When is the Tanglewood Festival of Lights 2026?
The 2026 Tanglewood Festival of Lights runs every night from November 13, 2026 through January 1, 2027, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., holidays included.
How much does the Tanglewood Festival of Lights cost?
Family vehicles pay $20 cash or $23 card Monday through Thursday and $25 cash or $28 card Friday through Sunday. On discount nights (November 16, 17, 23 and 24, 2026) a family vehicle is $10 cash or $13 card.
Where is the Tanglewood Festival of Lights?
It is at Tanglewood Park, 4061 Clemmons Road in Clemmons, NC 27012, about 10 minutes west of Winston-Salem off I-40. Use the main entrance on Clemmons Road (Highway 158), not the Idols Road gate some GPS apps suggest.
How long does the Tanglewood Festival of Lights take?
The drive-through route is roughly five miles. Plan for extra time on December weekends, when the wait to get in can stretch to several hours. Weeknights early in the season usually have the shortest lines.
Can you walk through the Tanglewood Festival of Lights?
Only during special events. In 2026 the Running of the Lights race goes through the display at midnight on December 31. Otherwise the show is drive-through only.
Does the Tanglewood Festival of Lights take credit cards?
Yes. Admission accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, but paying cash saves you $3 per vehicle.
Save This Guide for Later
Visiting the Tanglewood Festival of Lights is a must-do holiday activity in the Triad. If you are planning your trip, pin this guide to your Christmas or North Carolina board on Pinterest so you have the dates, prices and tips handy when it is time to load up the car. And if you’re looking for more Triad family fun, check out our trip to Alpha Omega Corn Maze.
