Symphony of Lights Closes to Cars on a Handful of Nights. Those Are the Nights You Can Walk It.

When can you walk through the Merriweather Symphony of Lights instead of driving it? From November 27, 2026, through January 2, 2027, the display in Symphony Woods runs as a drive-through at $25 per vehicle on most nights. The line forms at Broken Land Parkway and Hickory Ridge Road.

The official schedule also lists seven dates as "closed": November 29 and 30, and December 1, 7, 10, 14 and 31. On five of those dates the lights still run, just without cars. Those are the walk-through nights, and each one is built for a different group of people. If you want to see the more than 300,000 bulbs on foot, those dates are your whole window this season.

The closed dates, and what happens on each one

Here is the "closed" list from the Symphony of Lights drive-through page, with each date's walk-through event:

• Sunday, November 29: Festive Families. 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., $15 per person, ages 3 and under free. Strollers, wagons and backpacks are welcome.
• Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1. Closed to cars, with no walk-through event listed.
• Monday, December 7: Tail Lights. 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., $15 per person. Leashed dogs only, and costumes are encouraged.
• Thursday, December 10: Lit at the Lights. 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $45 with beer and cocktail samples or $15 for the walk only.
• Monday, December 14: Jingle & Jam. A toddler dance party with DJ Kopec, 5 to 7 p.m., $15 per person.
• Thursday, December 31: Midnight at 7. Visit Howard County lists the New Year's Eve celebration for December 31, 2026. The official page's listing still carries last year's date, "December 31, 2025," and gives 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., fireworks at 7, and tickets at $15 per person or $50 for a family four-pack. Confirm the time and prices on the ticket page before you plan around them.

The calendar also shapes the opening weekend. The lights open on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and run Saturday the 28th. Then come three straight dates without cars, Sunday through Tuesday. That leaves just two drive-through nights before the first pause.

Walking costs more per household, and that's not why you'd do it

For most households, walking costs more than driving. On a drive-through night, a car of five pays $25 no matter how many people are inside. On a walk-through night, the same five people pay $15 each, so $75, unless some of them are 3 or younger. The New Year's four-pack, listed at $50, would still cost twice the price of a car.

So walking is a choice about format, and each format suits a different household:

• Families with babies and toddlers have two dedicated nights. Festive Families opens the season, and Jingle & Jam is built for that age. Children 3 and under are free on both nights, which closes much of the price gap.
• Dog owners get one night, December 7, and it is the only date on the schedule where a dog is part of the plan.
• Adults get Lit at the Lights on December 10, and the $45 tier is the only ticket on the calendar with beer and cocktail samples.

Drivers should know one more Thursday detail. Thursdays are military nights, with $10 off a vehicle with valid military ID, and the discount is only available at the entrance. That takes a car to $15. Two Thursdays this season, December 10 and December 31, are walk-through dates with no drive-through, so military-night drivers should plan around them.

For every other night, the regular hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 5 to 10 p.m. on weekends. The event runs rain or snow. Limos, buses and dual-axle vehicles aren't allowed, and a portion of proceeds supports Howard County General Hospital.

Merriweather District starts its season a week earlier

Downtown Columbia's season opens a week before the lights. Merriweather District holds its free Tree Lighting and Ice Rink Opening on Friday, November 20, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The tree is lit at 7 p.m., and the Columbia Figure Skating Club and the Columbia Center of Theatrical Arts are scheduled to perform. You can also write letters to Santa and try holiday treats from district shops and vendors.

The event is free, but the district asks for an RSVP. The first 100 guests who check in at the Guest Services tent get a Merriweather District ornament personalized with their family name. Rink tickets are sold separately, even that night.

The Color Burst Ice Rink runs from November 20 through January 31, 2027. That's four weeks longer than the lights, which go dark January 2. Hours are:

General admission is $12 per person, plus tax and a reservation fee. Skate rental is $3, and skate aids are $5 for a 75-minute session. The $89 season pass includes skate rental. If you rent skates, each visit costs $15 before tax and fees, so the pass pays for itself on the sixth visit. Over a season that runs into late January, a household with a regular skater can reach six visits quickly. The rink recommends booking online in advance. Walk-ups scan a QR code at the rink, and entry isn't guaranteed if a session is full.

The first Friday in December has two events at once

The Merriweather District Holiday Market runs December 4 to 6 at Color Burst Park, 6221 Mango Tree Road. Hours change each day:

1. Friday, December 4: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
2. Saturday, December 5: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3. Sunday, December 6: noon to 4 p.m.

The 2026 vendors include local names such as Black Acres Roastery, Rosie Cheeks Distillery, Beye Beignets, Blended Bakery, Mrs. Macarons, Adjourn Teahouse, Fair Winds Candle Company, Chessie Maker, Pinwheel Clay and Wood Gone Wild. GameOn bar+arcade is on the list too. The market also plans seasonal drinks from district restaurants, fire pits, story times and caroling.

On that same Friday night, Historic Ellicott City holds its annual Midnight Madness and Tree Lighting on Main Street, from 6 p.m. to midnight, according to Visit Howard County. The market's opening night ends at 8:30 and Midnight Madness runs until midnight, so you can go to both. Start at Color Burst Park after work and head to Main Street later in the evening. If you'd rather keep it simple, Saturday the 5th has the market's longest hours.

The weekend ends right where the walk-through calendar picks up again. Tail Lights is the next night, Monday, December 7.

Dinner on the nights you're downtown

The walk-through nights wrap up early. Festive Families and Tail Lights both end at 7:45 p.m., and Jingle & Jam ends at 7. That leaves plenty of time for dinner. Merriweather District's dining directory lists Busboys and Poets, Mighty Quinn's BBQ, Peter Chang, Medium Rare, Akira Ramen & IzaKaya and Clove & Cardamom, among others. For families on the early nights, The Baltimore Banner reported that Eggspectation opened at 6100 Merriweather Drive in March 2025. Restaurant hours change, especially around the holidays, so call ahead before you plan dinner after the lights.

The season, in date order

1. Friday, November 20: Tree Lighting and Ice Rink Opening, Merriweather District
2. Friday, November 27: Symphony of Lights drive-through opens
3. Sunday, November 29: Festive Families walk-through
4. Friday through Sunday, December 4 to 6: Merriweather District Holiday Market, with Ellicott City's Midnight Madness on the 4th
5. Monday, December 7: Tail Lights walk-through
6. Thursday, December 10: Lit at the Lights walk-through
7. Monday, December 14: Jingle & Jam walk-through
8. Thursday, December 31: Midnight at 7, with time and prices to confirm on the ticket page
9. Saturday, January 2: Last night of the Symphony of Lights
10. Sunday, January 31: Last day of Color Burst Ice Rink

At T&G Real Estate Advisors, we keep track of these calendars because they matter to the neighbors we work with across Howard County and the rest of the DMV. If you're thinking about a move in the new year and want to know where your Columbia home stands before the spring market, request a home valuation, and we'll put together an honest number for you.