New Year’s Eve Festivals, Holiday Light Festivals and the start of 2026.
Welcome back, Festival Fans, and a Happy 2026 ahead.
If you happen to catch this post in 2025, be sure to check and see if your state has any NYE Festivals going on.
Otherwise, it’s mostly a (final) weekend of Holiday Light Festivals to finish up the holiday season.
If you are ready for the new year, the 2026 Festival Guides are available for you to start planning your festival weekends ahead. There are still many tentative (marked with asterisk) dates, but I’m updating festival listings on a daily basis, so just keep checking.
And please share the Festival Guides with others!
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Have a great weekend, everyone!
If you happen to be in Ohio this weekend, check this weekend’s post at OhioFestivals.net to see what’s going on. You can find this week’s post at https://ohiofestivals.net/ohio-weekend-010426/
And here are the other two sections again…
Northern Section: https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/north-festival-weekend-010426
Western Section: https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/west-festival-weekend-010426
Until next week…
Love, Peace and Festival Grease!
Upcoming Festival Weekend: January 2-4, 2026
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MAP of festival and fair food cities this weekend.
If you can’t see the map on your smartphone, click HERE.
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Reviews for Festivals this Week
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Only want to see festivals in your state?
Go directly to your State Festival Guide.
Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Delaware | Florida
Georgia |Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana
Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Nevada
New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oklahoma
Oregon | Pennsylvania |South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia
Washington | Washington, DC | West Virginia | Wisconsin
Otherwise, continue down for all of this weekend’s festivals…
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ALABAMA
12/29-12/31 – Christmas in the Park VI – Arab
12/29-12/31 – Galaxy of Lights VIII – Huntsville
12/29-12/31 – Christmas in the Park V – Millry
12/29-1/3 – Magic of Lights: Alabama Adventure VII – Birmingham
12/29-1/3 – Christmas at the Falls VII – Gadsden
12/29-1/4 – Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration VII – Birmingham
12/29-1/4 – Lights of Noel VII – Birmingham
12/29-1/4 – Christmas Nights in Lights VII – Mobile
12/29-1/4 – Oxford Festival of Lights VII – Oxford
12/29-1/4 (Closed 1/1) – Magic Christmas in Lights VI – Theodore
12/31 – MoonPie Over Mobile – Mobile
ARKANSAS
12/29-12/30 – Sherwood’s Enchanted Forest Trail of Lights VI – Sherwood
12/29-12/31 – Holiday Lights at Garvan Gardens VII – Hot Springs
12/29-12/31 – Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends VI – Pine Bluff
12/29-1/1 – Corning Christmas in the Park VI – Corning
12/29-1/1 – Drive-Thru Lights at The Great Passion Play VI – Eureka Springs
12/29-1/4 – White River Wonderland VII – Batesville
12/29-1/4 (Closed 1/1) – GloWild Lantern Festival IX – Little Rock
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Ball Drop – Fort Smith
FLORIDA
12/29-12/30 – Suwannee Lights VI – Live Oak
12/29-12/30 – Fantasy Lights Festival VI – Palm Coast
12/29-12/30 – Christmas in the Wild VI – Tampa
12/29-1/3 – Holiday Fantasy of Lights VII – Coconut Creek
12/29-1/3 – Magic of Lights at Daytona International Speedway VII – Daytona Beach
12/29-1/3 – Holiday Lights in the Gardens VI – Largo
12/29-1/4 (Closed 12/31) – Night Garden IX – Coral Gables
12/29-1/4 – Edison and Ford Holiday Nights Celebration VI – Fort Myers
12/29-1/4 (Closed 12/31) – Johnsonville Night Lights in the Garden VI – Naples
12/29-1/4 – Dazzling Nights Orlando VI – Orlando
12/29-1/4 – The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens Asian Lantern Festival VIII – Sanford
12/31 – NYE Tangerine Ball Drop – Brooksville
12/31 – New Year’s Eve on Main Street – Daytona Beach
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Shrimp Drop – Fernandina Beach
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop – Panama City Beach
12/31 – Sarasota Pineapple Drop – Sarasota
1/2-1/4 – Foodees Fest: Daytona Beach – Daytona Beach
1/2-1/4 – Sarasota Seafood and Music Festival – Sarasota
1/3 – Riverwalk Stone Crab and Seafood Festival – Fort Lauderdale
1/3 – Pensacola Mardi Gras 12th Night Celebration – Pensacola
GEORGIA
12/29-12/30 – Lights of the South VII – Grovetown
12/29-12/30 – Holiday Lights of Hope VI – Woodstock
12/29-12/31 (Closed 12/31) – Winter Wonderlights VII – Athens
12/29-12/31 – Holiday Lights at Veteran’s Park VII – Canton
12/29-12/31 – Lights of Life VI – Marietta
12/29-12/31 – Savannah Christmas Market (Christmas on the River) VII – Savannah
12/29-1/4 – Garden Lights, Holiday Nights VIII – Atlanta
12/29-1/4 – IllumiNights at the Zoo: A Lantern Festival VII – Atlanta
12/29-1/4 – Magical Nights of Lights VIII – Buford
12/29-1/4 – Glow Light Show VIII – Lawrenceville
12/29-1/4 – Enchanted Garden of Lights VIII – Lookout Mountain
12/29-1/4 – Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Resort and Gardens VIII – Pine Mountain
12/29-1/4 – Stone Mountain Christmas IX – Stone Mountain
12/30 – A Country Christmas at Pettit Creek Farms VI – Cartersville
12/30-1/4 – World of Illumination: Candy Rush VIII – Marietta
12/31* – Atlanta Peach Drop – Atlanta
12/31 – The Perry Buzzard Drop – Perry
12/31 – The Possum Drop – Tallapoosa
KENTUCKY
12/29-12/30 – Christmas in the Park Light Show VI – Benton
12/29-12/31 – Christmas Island VII – Burnside
12/29-12/31 – Southern Lights Holiday Festival VI – Lexington
12/29-12/31 – Christmas in the Park VI – Paducah
12/29-1/1 – Elizabethtown’s Christmas in the Park VI – Elizabethtown
12/29-1/1* – Deck the Y’alls Lightfest VII – Florence – DISCONTINUED
12/29-1/1 – Christmas at Panther Creek VI – Owensboro
12/29-1/3 – Lights Under Louisville VIII – Louisville – My Review
12/29-1/4 – Winter Wonderland of Lights VII – Ashland
12/29-1/4 – Patti’s Festival of Lights IX – Grand Rivers
1/1 – Festival of Lights VI – Mayfield
1/1-1/3 – ChristmasTime at the Ark Encounter VI – Williamstown
LOUISIANA
12/29-12/30 – Christmas in Lafreniere Park V – Metairie
12/29 – NOLA Christmasfest III – New Orleans
12/29-12/30 – Louisiana Lights at Burden Museum and Gardens VI – Baton Rouge
12/29-12/30 – Zoo Lights at Baton Rouge Zoo VI – Baton Rouge
12/29-12/30 – Spirit of Christmas VI – Destrehan
12/29-12/31 – Holiday Lights at Baton Rouge General VII – Baton Rouge
12/29-12/31 – Kenner’s Magical Christmas Village VI – Kenner
12/29-12/31 – Christmas in the Park V – Thibodaux
12/29-1/1- Celebration in the Oaks VI – New Orleans
12/29-1/3 – Candy Cane Lane IX – Calhoun
1/3 – Market at the Marina I – Houma
MISSISSIPPI
12/29-12/31 – Gulfport Harbor Lights Winter Festival VI – Gulfport
12/29-1/1 – 50 Nights of Lights IX – Cleveland
12/29-1/1 – Light Garden VI – Olive Branch
12/29-1/3 – Brandon Magic of Lights VII – Brandon
12/29-1/4 – The Southern Lights VII – Pearl
12/31 – Midnight on Front Street – Hattiesburg
12/31 – Tupelo’s New Year’s Eve Party – Tupelo
NORTH CAROLINA
12/29-12/30 – Tweetsie Christmas VI – Blowing Rock
12/29-12/30 – Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular VI – Charlotte
12/29-12/30 – Kannapolis Celebration of Lights VIII – Kannapolis
12/29-12/30 – Elizabethan Gardens WinterLights VII – Manteo
12/29-12/31 – Winterfest at Carowinds VIII – Charlotte
12/29-12/31 – Lake Myra Christmas Lights VI – Wendell
12/29-12/31 – Christmas Lights at Contentnea Fire Department VI – Wilson
12/29-1/1 – Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights VIII – Clemmons
12/29-1/1 – Lake Linda’s Christmas Lights VI – Hampstead
12/29-1/1 – Costner’s Christmas Light Extravaganza VII – Kings Mountain
Weekend continues below…
12/29-1/1 – Christmas Wonderland of Lights at Zootastic Park VII – Troutman
12/29-1/3 – Smoky Mountain Christmas Light Spectacular IX – Bryson City
12/29-1/3 – The Arbor Hills Holiday Festival VI – Cleveland
12/29-1/3 – Winterfest at Tryon International VIII – Mill Spring
12/29-1/4 – The North Carolina Arboretum’s Winter Lights VIII – Asheville
12/29-1/4 – NC Chinese Lantern Festival VIII – Cary
12/29-1/4 – Light the Knights Festival V – Charlotte
12/29-1/4 – Speedway Christmas VII – Charlotte
12/29-1/4 (Closed 1/1) – Winter Wonderlights at the Greensboro Science Center VII – Greensboro
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop – Burgaw
12/31 – Greenville New Year’s Eve Celebration – Greenville
12/31 – Midnight Magic in Manteo – Manteo
12/31 – First Night Raleigh – Raleigh
12/31 – Southern Pines First Eve Celebration – Southern Pines
SOUTH CAROLINA
12/29-12/30 – Holiday Lights on the River VI – Columbia
12/29-12/30 – Celebrate the Season Holiday Lights VI – Moncks Corner
12/29-12/30 – The Great Christmas Light Show VI – North Myrtle Beach
12/29-12/31 – Holiday Festival of Lights VIII – Charleston
12/29-12/31 – MarshWalk Wonderland of Lights VI – Murrells Inlet
12/29-12/31 – Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights V – Sumter
12/29-1/1 – Children’s Garden Christmas and Kid’s Walk VII – Orangeburg
12/29-1/3 (Closed 1/1) – Fireflies Holiday Lights VII – Columbia
12/29-1/3 – Winter Wonderland at the Beach VI – Myrtle Beach
12/29-1/3 – Magic of Lights: Hollywild VII – Wellford
12/29-1/4 (Closed 12/31, 1/1) – Riverbanks Zoo Wild Lights VII – Columbia
12/30-1/4 – Nights of a Thousand Candles V – Murrells Inlet
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Flip-Flop Drop – Folly Beach
1/1-1/3 – Santa’s Southern Lights at Sara’s VII – Trenton
TENNESSEE
12/29-12/31 – Franktown’s Festival of Lights VII – Franklin
12/29-12/31 – Chad’s Winter Wonderland VI – Lebanon
12/29-1/3 – Food City Speedway in Lights VII – Bristol
12/29-1/3 – Christmas at Gaylord Opryland IX – Nashville
12/29-1/3 – Skyland Ranch Festival of Lights IX – Sevierville
12/29-1/4 – Lights Over Gatlinburg IX – Gatlinburg
12/29-1/4 – Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland VII – Johnson City
12/29-1/4 – The Dancing Lights of Christmas IX – Lebanon
12/29-1/4 (Closed 12/31) – Memphis Zoo Lantern Festival VIII – Memphis
12/29-1/4 – Holiday Lights at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens VII – Nashville
12/29-1/4 (Closed 1/1) – Zoolumination: Chinese Festival of Lights VIII – Nashville
12/29-1/4 – Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas X – Pigeon Forge
12/29-1/4 – Shadrack’s Snowy Mountain Village VIII – Sevierville
12/31 – New Year’s Eve Celebration – Gatlinburg
12/31-1/4 – Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo VII – Chattanooga
VIRGINIA
12/29-12/30 – Suffolk Festival of Lights VI – Suffolk
12/29-1/3 – Buchanan Festival of Lights V – Buchanan
12/29-1/3 – Winter Wander VIII – Charlottesville
12/29-1/3 – Illuminate Light Show and Santa’s Village VII – Doswell
12/29-1/4 – Bull Run Festival of Lights VIII – Centreville
12/29-1/4 – Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk VII – Lynchburg
12/29-1/4 – Garden of Lights IX – Norfolk
12/29-1/4 – GardenFest of Lights VII – Richmond
12/29-1/4 – Winter Lantern Festival VII – Tysons
12/29-1/4 – Meadowlark Gardens Winter Walk of Lights IX – Vienna
12/29-1/4 – Busch Gardens Christmas Town VIII – Williamsburg
12/31 – First Night Virginia – Charlottesville
1/1-1/4 – Winter Lantern Festival: Williamsburg VIII – Williamsburg
Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Delaware | Florida
Georgia |Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana
Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Nevada
New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oklahoma
Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia
Washington | Washington, DC | West Virginia | Wisconsin
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