On November 19, the gates at The Elizabethan Gardens stay shut all day. The Gardens have announced they will not open at all that day. Starting November 20, the ten acres off U.S. 64 open only from 6 to 9 p.m., on scheduled nights, until December 29. After that comes January, which the Gardens close entirely.
Downtown follows the same schedule. The Town's Merry Market runs 5 to 8 p.m. The Christmas Tree Lighting runs 4 to 8 p.m. The waterfront New Year's Eve celebration starts at 6 p.m. Between Thanksgiving week and New Year's, nearly every public event on Roanoke Island begins near sunset or later. The big exception is Saturday, December 5. That day the Christmas Parade, the Manteo Preservation Trust Holiday Tour and Island Farm's Christmas Past all run in daylight, and WinterLights is open that night too.
The last daylight walk at the Gardens is mid-November
Shorter days arrive before the lights do. The Elizabethan Gardens' hours page says that starting November 2, after the time change, the Gardens close at 4 p.m. every day. The heading on that page runs the regular schedule "through November 19th." The WinterLights page is more specific: daytime general admission ends November 18, and the Gardens will not open on November 19. Plan around November 18.
Between that date and February, a daytime visit is off the table. Thanksgiving Day, December 24 and December 25 are listed as closures, and then all of January. Regular hours have been 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. That leaves the first two weeks of November, ending at 4 p.m., as the last unlit garden walks of 2026.
November 20 starts two evening seasons at once
The Friday before Thanksgiving opens both of Manteo's holiday calendars on the same night.
- Merry Market, 5 to 8 p.m., George Washington Creef Park. The Town lists local vendors, seasonal music and hot cocoa. The Manteo Police Department's Food & Coat Drive collects donations on site.
- WinterLights opening night, 6 to 9 p.m., The Elizabethan Gardens. Tickets are $22 for adults 13 and older, $14 for ages 3 to 12, free for children 2 and under, and $6 for a well-behaved dog.
The market opens an hour before the Gardens do, so you can browse the waterfront first and drive to the lights afterward. The Town of Manteo's holiday page lists no admission price for the market.
Two nights later comes the night meant for locals. Virginia Dare Night, on Sunday, November 22, is free WinterLights admission for residents of Dare, Currituck and Tyrrell counties. Tickets are limited and must be reserved online. Bring proof of residency, such as a driver's license or utility bill, and a donation of nonperishable food for the Roanoke Island Food Pantry. Donation collection starts at 5 p.m. and doors open at 6. The Gardens ask that nothing be expired and suggest staples like cooking oil, canned tuna or chicken, pasta and sauce, rice, peanut butter and boxed cereal. These free tickets get no rain checks. Dominion Energy sponsors the night, and this year is WinterLights' 17th season.
The rest of November's WinterLights nights fall on November 21, 25, 27 and 28. On November 26, First Flight Middle School performs in the Rose Garden Tent and Soul One plays Odom Hall. Wendy & Nick play November 27. The Gardens close on Thanksgiving Day, so that November 26 date sits against the Gardens' own Thanksgiving closure. Check it with the Gardens before you go.
Friday, December 4, goes from candlelight to the tree
The first weekend of December is the busiest of the season. The Town calls it one of the busiest holiday weekends in Manteo. On Friday, three events overlap in the late afternoon and evening.
At Island Farm, 1140 N. U.S. Highway 64 just north of town, Christmas Past runs from 2 to 7 p.m. Costumed interpreters show how Roanoke Island families celebrated Christmas in the mid-1800s. The homeplace is lit by candlelight, and the farm offers cider, sugar cookies, a bonfire, musket firing, St. Nicholas, and candle, ornament and grapevine wreath making. Admission is $11 for ages 4 and up and free for ages 0 to 3. It is the farm's last event of the year.
Downtown, the Christmas Tree Lighting runs 4 to 8 p.m., with carols, dancing, hot cocoa, cookies, reindeer games and Mrs. Claus reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. WinterLights is open that night too, with Wendy & Nick on the music schedule. Leaving Island Farm around 4 gets you to the tree while it is still going. The lights at the Gardens stay on until 9.
December 4 is also the first Friday of the month, but don't count on an art walk. Dare Arts describes First Friday as running March through November, 6 to 8 p.m., so the November 6 event is the last of the 2026 season.
Weather is the risk for Friday night. Last year the Town canceled its tree lighting because rain was forecast and kept the parade on schedule, as the Outer Banks Voice reported. WinterLights also depends on the weather. When a night is canceled, the Gardens send notice to ticketed guests by 2 p.m. Tickets are nonrefundable unless the Gardens cancel.
Saturday, December 5, is the one day packed with daylight events
- 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Christmas Parade. It starts at Manteo High School, runs through downtown and ends at the College of The Albemarle Dare Campus.
- 11:30 a.m.: Holiday Tour day-of tickets go on sale at the Reception Hall, 108 Budleigh Street. Online sales run through December 4.
- 1 to 6 p.m.: The Manteo Preservation Trust's 18th Holiday Tour. Tickets are $25 per person, rain or shine.
- 2 to 7 p.m.: Christmas Past, day two, at Island Farm.
- 6 to 9 p.m.: WinterLights.
The Holiday Tour makes this year's weekend different from last year's. The Visitors Bureau listing calls it a biennial tradition, which means it runs every other year, and proceeds support the Trust's work preserving downtown's historic character. Day-of tour tickets go on sale while the parade is still running, so anyone staying for the whole parade will find the line already formed on Budleigh Street. Buying online through December 4 avoids that.
Vicki B's Restaurant & Market is a few blocks up the same street at 301 Budleigh. A July 2026 Outer Banks This Week roundup described it as a new downtown restaurant, bar, market and outdoor event space serving weekend brunch. Brunch there between the parade and the tour fills the one open stretch of the day. Hours listed in July may have changed by December, so call ahead.
The rest of December is back to nighttime
After the first weekend, the calendar goes back to evenings, with a few daytime exceptions.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Dec. 10 | WinterLights, Manteo Elementary School Chorus | 6–9 p.m. | Rose Garden Tent, The Elizabethan Gardens |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | WinterLights, Doug Dino plus First Flight High School Chorus & String Orchestra | 6–9 p.m. | The Elizabethan Gardens |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Harmony & Holidays Christmas Concert | Bar 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. | Roanoke Island Festival Park indoor theater |
| Dec. 21–23, 26–29 | Final WinterLights nights | 6–9 p.m. | The Elizabethan Gardens |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Meet Me in Manteo New Year's Eve Celebration | 6 p.m.–midnight, fireworks 8 p.m. | Manteo waterfront |
At the Harmony & Holidays concert, The Bank of Harmony and The Sugarplums perform, with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. For New Year's Eve, the Visitors Bureau listing promises live music, kids' activities and an 8 p.m. fireworks show, and says more details are coming. The Town's own New Year's page still describes last year's event, so the Visitors Bureau listing is the current one.
Daytime outings are still available, just elsewhere on the island. Roanoke Island Festival Park is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through December 31, with some holiday closures. Admission is $15 for adults and $13 for ages 3 to 12. The grounds at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are free and open 24 hours a day. The Lindsay Warren Visitor Center is open daily from 9 to 5 and closed on Christmas Day.
Fort Raleigh's lot also matters on WinterLights nights. Guests have to park in designated spaces at the Gardens, and the overflow lot is at Fort Raleigh, with a shuttle running on select nights. Santa Dougie visits from 6 to 8 p.m. every WinterLights night unless it's canceled, so the busiest stretch at the gate is likely the first two hours. If you'd rather eat after a late visit, Salt & Cypress Kitchen + Cocktails at 1100-A S. Bay Club Drive lists itself on its own site as open seven days a week, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A resident with one free weekend and a few weeknights could spend them this way. Take a last daylight walk at the Gardens before November 18. Go to the Merry Market on November 20 and Virginia Dare Night on November 22. Then plan on Saturday, December 5, from the 10:30 parade to the end of WinterLights at 9 p.m.
Our team at Swain Real Estate Group plans around this calendar too. A property that sits near the waterfront, the parade route or the Fort Raleigh corridor feels very different on the first weekend of December than it does in July. If you own on Roanoke Island and want to know how seasonal timing like this shows up in rental demand, Book a Free Consult & Rental Analysis.
