A Garden Aglow

WinterLights transforms The Elizabethan Gardens into 10 acres of twinkling holiday magic.

A million twinkling lights, lively holiday music, a gingerbread house full of festive confections, a steaming pot of freshly made cocoa and Santa waiting in a greenhouse in the gardens. No, we’re not talking about the North Pole. We’re talking about WinterLights, the annual holiday light event at The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island.

Running on select nights from November 20 through December 29, the event is a holiday spectacle for all the senses as well as a vital fundraiser for the Gardens, thanks to sponsors Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Dominion Energy and Southern Bank.

If you’re not familiar with The Elizabethan Gardens, the name speaks for itself. Here you will find the ornate, elaborate gardens similar to those designed to entertain Queen Elizabeth I during her reign. They are also a living memorial to the time when Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists lived on the same ground more than 400 years ago.

Each holiday season, when you step through the great iron gates that were gifted to the Gardens by the French Embassy in the 1960s, you are transported into a visual winter wonderland. The event transforms 10 acres of waterfront garden and native forest into a festival of lights.

“Between the music and the lights and the laughter of the children, it’s just magical,” says Brendan Medlin, executive director of The Elizabethan Gardens. “It’s wondrous, and it’s guaranteed to lift your spirits.”

Every year, beginning in August, the Gardens’ staff begins the task of hanging the lights and setting up the displays, though in 2026 they got a head start and began planning in June. Medlin says they set up from August until opening night to make sure it’s perfect.

“It’s our whole staff, all hands on deck for WinterLights, plus volunteers,” Medlin says. “When it gets down to crunch time, everybody gets out there.”

Medlin says they leverage the height and depth of the trees with par uplighting and string lighting as high as they can get it to make a wash of light that is high and deep. Throughout the paths they have gobo lanterns, which have a stencil or template inside them to project a specific shape or pattern.

“When you enter the path into the Gardens, it becomes kind of dreamy,” he says. “We have lanterns hanging all through the trees that cast this mix of light and shadow on the path, and you know that you are being transported into a wonderland.”

This year Medlin is again working with designer Fred Brumbach to introduce more technological elements, including a programmed music and light show in the Sunken Garden that will run every 30 minutes. The goal is to use a wireless system to coordinate light changes across the entire property.

“Every year we advance our lighting technology to make it a more immersive experience,” Medlin says.

But it’s not just about the light show. The evening is filled with activities and festivities for the whole family. There’s the gingerbread house selling cocoa and treats. The hot cocoa is made nightly with Ghirardelli cocoa powder (the good stuff) and powdered milk for a creamy consistency. There are also a number of warming stations, including Odom Hall, which features numerous trees decorated by local nonprofits and live music from favorite local acts such as The Tillett Sisters and Harrison and Wentz. There’s a large fire pit on the Great Lawn where guests enjoy roasting free marshmallows.

And last but not least, Santa is nestled in the newly refurbished Heritage Conservatory greenhouse.

“The elves tell me it’s Santa’s very favorite spot,” Medlin confides.

A much-loved Outer Banks event since 2010, WinterLights has become a holiday tradition for local and visiting families.

“We often see entire families year after year, sometimes 20 at a time, because WinterLights has become an exciting tradition,” Medlin says. “It’s just so lovely, and it’s a great thing to do when you’re in town for the holidays.”

2026 WinterLights

November 20 to December 29
6 to 9 p.m.

$22 adults; $14 youth ages 2 to 17; Free for children younger than 2; $6 for well-behaved dogs

Visit elizabethangardens.org/winterlights

2026 Eastertide in the Gardens

Saturday, March 27

While WinterLights is a standout annual event at The Elizabethan Gardens, the fun does not stop there. 

In spring comes Eastertide, always held on the Saturday before Easter and featuring activities like bonnet contests, live music, food trucks and yard games. Medlin says the event is called Eastertide as a nod to Yuletide at Christmas time.

“It’s kind of an English thing, when everyone comes out of their winter hibernation,” he says. “They’ve been through some of the winter doldrums, and it’s kind of like the first glimpse of spring in the garden.”

Visit elizabethangardens.org/eastertide-in-the-gardens
 

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ElizabethanGardens.org
1411 National Park Drive, Manteo