Daniel Stowe Christmas lights: Holidays at the Garden 2026
Details checked against official sources on October 15, 2026. Confirm dates with the organizer before you go.
Daniel Stowe Conservancy is a botanical garden on the Lake Wylie side of Belmont, about 20 miles from Uptown Charlotte. Each holiday season it lights the Gardens at Stowe for Holidays at the Garden, a walking tour rather than a drive-through, held rain or shine.
Paths are a mix of paved road, pressed gravel and brick, wide enough for strollers, wagons and wheelchairs, though some stretches are dark, so the conservancy suggests bringing a flashlight. Wheelchairs are not available to rent during the event.
1. Belmont, NC
Holidays at the Garden, Daniel Stowe Conservancy
A walking tour of more than one million lights through the Gardens at Stowe, about 20 miles from Uptown Charlotte on the Lake Wylie side of Belmont. Food trucks, a Holiday Speakeasy every night, live music in the Great Hall on select evenings, Santa on December weekends and a trackless train on December Fridays.
- When
- November 28 – December 30, 2026, 5–10 PM; last admission 9 PM. Rain or shine.
- Cost
- General tickets (a set date): adults $28, children 2–12 $25. Monday–Thursday value nights: adults $24, children $18. Any Night ticket $33. Under 2 free; members save 15%.
Tip: Buy ahead: door tickets are limited and General tickets are non-refundable. Parking is free; paved VIP spots can be pre-bought for Fridays, Saturdays and Christmas week.
Dates & details
What is on in 2026
Santa visits the Garland Board Room on the weekends before Christmas: December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20, from 6 to 8 PM. The trackless train runs up and down the Tram Road on Fridays, December 4, 11 and 18, from 6 to 9 PM.
The Holiday Speakeasy serves specialty cocktails every night, and the Great Hall has live music on select evenings plus the conservancy’s Orchid Tree. The Tram Road is lined with Community Trees decorated by local families and businesses.
Special events on the conservancy’s 2026 list include the Bright Lights Race (November 25), a Merry Market (November 28), wreath-making workshops (December 9–11), Santa Paws for dogs in The Village (December 12), Morning with Santa (December 19) and a Holiday Jazz Concert (December 30).
Tickets: General or Any Night?
General tickets are for one specific night and are non-refundable. Any Night tickets ($33) let you move to any open date between November 28 and December 30, which is worth it if the weather or a sick child might change your plans.
Door sales depend on availability, and if a night sells out you may be asked to come back another evening, so the conservancy recommends buying online. Groups of 15 or more need a reservation and there are no group discounts.
Parking and weather
Parking is free. On Fridays, Saturdays and Christmas week you can pre-buy a VIP spot in the paved lot; everyone else parks free in the grass overflow lot. On other nights parking is first come, first served, and handicap-tagged cars get free reserved spaces.
If severe weather cancels a night, the conservancy posts it by 3 PM on its website and social media, and pre-purchased tickets can be rescheduled or refunded on request.
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Questions
Daniel Stowe Holidays at the Garden: common questions
When is Holidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe in 2026?
November 28 to December 30, 2026, from 5 to 10 PM. You can enter any time between 5 and 9 PM.
How much are Daniel Stowe Christmas light tickets?
General tickets for a set date are $28 for adults and $25 for children 2–12. Monday–Thursday value nights are $24 for adults and $18 for children. An Any Night ticket, usable on any open date, is $33. Children under 2 are free and members get 15% off.
Is Daniel Stowe Christmas lights a drive-through?
No. Holidays at the Garden is a walking tour through the Gardens at Stowe. For a drive-through near Charlotte, Speedway Christmas in Concord is the big one.
Is parking free at Daniel Stowe for the Christmas lights?
Yes. Optional paid VIP parking in the paved lot is available on Fridays, Saturdays and Christmas week; otherwise parking is free.
When can I see Santa at Daniel Stowe?
Santa is in the Garland Board Room on December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20, 2026, from 6 to 8 PM. There is also a Morning with Santa event on December 19.
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