Nights of Lights at Pinecrest Gardens runs 15 nights this December. Every night goes from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and the season ends on December 27, two nights after Christmas. Each ticket is good only for the date you choose when you buy it. Sales are final, and tickets can't be swapped for another night. The program also changes from night to night. Santa is there most nights and the Grinch on a few, and the Banyan Bowl and Meadow have a different lineup each evening. So the most useful thing a Pinecrest family can do this season is pick the right night.
The calendar grew after it was announced
In early October, South Dade Spotlight's fall preview listed 13 select nights ending December 23. The official Nights of Lights schedule now lists 15. The two added nights are Saturday, December 26 and Sunday, December 27, and the second one is billed as closing night.
Compared with last year, the hours have changed more than the night count. The 2025 edition also ran 15 nights, from December 5 to 28. Three of them were Sundays that closed at 9 p.m., according to South Florida on the Cheap's 2025 guide. In 2026, all four Sundays on the calendar run the full 6:30 to 10 p.m. Those are December 6, 13, 20 and 27. That extra hour matters on the evenings when a Sunday crowd is lined up for Santa.
Prices went up too. In 2025, admission was $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 2 to 17. The 2026 ticket page lists $23 for adults and $18 for children 2 to 17. The Jolly Craft Corner is a separate $9 add-on. For two adults and two kids, that's $82 before crafts, up from $70 last year. Parking is still free. Members get a discount at the gate if they bring a membership card and photo ID.
At $82 for a family of four, with no exchanges, it pays to match the date to the program.
What each night holds
Most nights follow the same base schedule. Santa or the Grinch appears from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Jolly Craft Corner runs 7 to 9 p.m., and Story Time runs 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The award-winning playground is open after dark all season, and holiday vendors and signature drinks fill the paths. The extras listed on the Gardens' individual event pages are what make one night different from another.
| Date | Character | What's added |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Santa | 7 p.m. tree lighting and carolers. Maria Verdeja School of the Arts performs The Legend of Frosty in the Banyan Bowl at 7 and 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa | Dance Empire. 8 p.m. Chanukah Menorah Lighting in the Meadow |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Santa | Carolers in the Meadow, 8:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Grinch | Conchita Espinosa Academy's "Christmas in the Gardens." Wreath-making workshop |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Grinch | Wreath-making workshop |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Santa | Alhambra Orchestra. Wreath-making workshop |
| Thu., Dec. 17 | Santa | Greater Miami Youth Symphony. Baking class |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | Santa | Mariachis. Baking class |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Santa and Grinch | Baking class |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | Santa | Carolers in the Meadow, 8:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Mon., Dec. 21 | Santa | Screening of The Grinch from 2018 |
| Tue., Dec. 22 | Santa | Mariachis |
| Wed., Dec. 23 | Santa | Mariachis in the Meadow at 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | None listed | Base program |
| Sun., Dec. 27 | None listed | Closing night with The Polar Express |
Opening night on December 4 combines the tree lighting, carolers and a student production of The Legend of Frosty. It works well as a first visit for younger children. December 5 is the only night with the menorah lighting in the Meadow, and Santa is there that night too. Grinch fans have December 11 and 12. If you want both characters in one evening, Saturday, December 19 is the only date on the calendar with Santa and the Grinch together.
The season has two movie nights, the Grinch screening on December 21 and The Polar Express on closing night. The December 26 and 27 nights that were added after the October preview have no Santa or Grinch appearances listed. They suit families with kids who are past the photo-line stage, and visiting relatives who arrive after the 25th.
Workshops sell separately
Holiday classes run alongside the festival on two sets of nights. Wreath-making is December 11, 12 and 13, and baking is December 17, 18 and 19. The Gardens says more details are coming. Like the Jolly Craft Corner, these classes need their own add-on tickets on top of general admission. If a wreath or a baking class is part of your plan, choose your Nights of Lights date around it, since admission and class have to fall on the same night.
Two Saturday concerts land on festival nights
The Banyan Bowl's ticketed concert series continues through the season, and two of its shows fall on Nights of Lights dates. Allan Harris Sings Nat King Cole Christmas is Saturday, December 12, from 8 to 10 p.m. Orquesta La Oferta: Honors El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is Saturday, December 19, also 8 to 10 p.m. Both shows list Level A seats at $55 to $60 and Level B at $45 to $50, and those prices include a $5 processing fee. Those Saturdays will have festival guests and concertgoers on the grounds at the same time. The concerts are ticketed apart from the lights.
The other holiday shows don't fall on festival nights. Candlelight: Juan Luis Guerra is Friday, November 20, with performances at 6:15 and 8:45 p.m. The event page calls it a tribute concert, and tickets are sold through Fever. The Greater Miami Symphonic Band's Christmas Sing-a-long is Sunday, December 13, from 3 to 4:15 p.m. Tickets go through the band's own site. The Alhambra Orchestra plays the Banyan Bowl that same evening as part of Nights of Lights. December 13 is the one date where a family can go to an afternoon concert and come back for the lights.
Daytime at the Gardens before December
The festival is a few weeks off, but the Gardens' daytime calendar already has things on it. The Thanksgiving Break Mini Camp runs November 23 to 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for ages 4 to 9. It costs $100 a day or $280 for all three days.
On Sundays, the Pinecrest Farmers Market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In September, the Village Council approved a contract for Miami Culinary Kitchen to manage and operate the market. An October 2026 Community Newspapers profile put the market at more than 80 vendors each week under Market Manager Susan Muci. Once a month it holds a Sunday Funday with themed family activities. The market calendar lists November 22, November 29 and December 6. On December 6, a family could shop the market in the morning and come back at 6:30 p.m. for Santa.
On days without a festival, the Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours vary on festival days, special-event days and observed holidays. Regular admission is $8 for ages 2 to 64 and $5 for seniors.
Getting to Red Road on festival evenings
The Gardens is at 11000 SW 57 Avenue, on Red Road. Miami-Dade County scheduled rehabilitation of its bridge on Red Road, just north of North Kendall Drive, to begin in November, with completion estimated for April 2027. Crews work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. At least one lane of Red Road stays open, and Kendall Drive stays fully open. Since the work stops at 4 p.m., it shouldn't affect drives to the 6:30 p.m. festival openings. The Thanksgiving camp and Saturday daytime trips from the north fall within work hours. The Village's construction notice says weather could move the schedule significantly.
Along Kendall Drive, the Village plans to start the first of six paver-accented raised crosswalks at SW 64th Court in late November or early December. Next come SW 63rd, 62nd and 61st Courts, then SW 60th Avenue after January 1, then SW 65th Court. Each crosswalk takes about a month, and the project should be finished in early 2027. Residents on SW 60th through SW 64th can use SW 92nd Street as an alternate route while their corner is under construction. The Village's project update has the current order.
Before you buy, remember that Nights of Lights runs rain or shine. The Gardens notes that performances and activities can change without notice, so check the night's event page close to your date.
At the Azua Nardon Team, we raised our family around evenings like these, and our team would love to hear which night your family picks. If the holidays also have you wondering what your Pinecrest home might be worth next year, we're glad to put together a free home valuation whenever you're ready.
