Lights on the Bay 2026: Sandy Point Dates, Prices and Pet Walks

Lights on the Bay costs more this year and is open fewer hours. The SPCA of Anne Arundel County now charges $25 a car, up from $20. On Sunday through Thursday nights the gates close an hour earlier than last season. Those changes make your choice of night matter more. The same $25 that gets one carload through on a short Tuesday also covers a whole family walking the two-mile route with their dog, three nights before the first car drives in.

The 32nd season at Sandy Point State Park runs from November 23, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Here's how the new calendar works and which nights give you the most for the price.

The Season Starts Three Nights Early, Without Cars

Before the drive-through opens, the SPCA holds Lights & Leashes on Friday, November 20, through Sunday, November 22, 2026. Over those three nights, people and leashed pets walk the full two-mile route along the Chesapeake Bay. The walk has pet-friendly vendors selling dog treats and accessories, hot drinks for people, and photos with Santa. The organizer says the path is paved and fully handicap accessible.

Admission is $25 per car, paid at the gate. That's the same as a regular drive-through night. On foot, though, you can take the displays at your own pace, while on a regular night you see them through a windshield in a line of traffic.

The hours are listed two ways. The Lights & Leashes page says 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., and the Events page says 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Both pages say everyone has to be out of the park by 9:00 p.m. Two miles takes time to walk, so an early arrival is the safe plan on any of the three nights.

What Changed at the Gate

Eye On Annapolis covered the show in November 2025 and in 2024, and reported the same rates both years. On the official site, the 2026 car price is $5 higher, and the van and bus prices are each $10 higher.

The weeknight change adds up. Last season the show was open 35 hours a week. With four-hour nights Sunday through Thursday and five-hour nights on Friday and Saturday, it's now open 30. The show is still open every night, holidays included, so it runs on Thanksgiving, November 26, and on Christmas night. It also runs two nights longer at the end, closing Sunday, January 3, instead of on New Year's Day as it did in 2025.

The organizer describes the 2026 route as "approximately 70" animated and stationary displays. Eye On Annapolis reported about 80 in its 2024 coverage and again in 2025. Both figures are approximate, so the gap may be smaller than it looks. The display the SPCA is promoting this year is Santa's North Pole train station, along with designs that celebrate historic Annapolis. Last year's coverage listed the colonial village, the lighted tunnels, the midshipmen tossing their hats, the animated "Top Gun" display, and an Under the Sea finale.

Paying at the Gate Now Saves Money

Because the price is per vehicle, the cost per person goes down with each person in the car. How you pay also changes what you spend. Tickets bought online through Eventbrite come with a QR code for faster entry and a $3.52 processing fee. Paying at the gate with cash or a credit card has no fee. That makes it $25.00 at the gate or $28.52 online for one car.

The 2026 discounts are gate-only too. The SPCA's Events page lists two Military Mondays, December 7 and December 21, 2026, when military personnel get $5 off at the gate with a valid military ID. On those nights a car pays $20, last year's regular price. The homepage still shows an older notice with December 8 and 15 and a first-responder discount, but the 2026 Events page lists the Monday dates only.

The SPCA also holds Sponsor Discount Nights, when visitors who follow that night's theme get $5 off. The 2026 schedule hasn't been released yet, and the Events page asks visitors to check back. The FAQ says Santa will appear on some drive-through nights, but those dates are still being finalized.

At the gate you can also pick up 3D glasses for $5 and a scavenger hunt card. Turning in the card enters you in a drawing for an Amazon gift card. Every ticket supports the SPCA of Anne Arundel County's shelter and animal care. If you buy online, you can add a fee-free donation at checkout. Sandy Point is off Route 50 at Exit 32, near the Bay Bridge.

When the Dog Stays Home: Willow Oak's Half-Mile Walk

If you want to walk among the lights after Lights & Leashes ends, the county's other big lights event is the North Pole Lights Walk at Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm on Telegraph Road in Severn. It runs on select nights from November 27 to December 30, 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. The farm's ticket calendar confirms those are 2026 dates.

Willow Oak charges per person: $12 for adults and $8 for children. The child price covers ages 12 and under. Two adults and two children pay $40, compared with $25 for the same four people in one car at Sandy Point. Willow Oak is a different kind of outing, though. The trail is about half a mile on brick, stone, and woodland paths. A North Pole Fairy starts you off, and the route passes garden flowers and arctic animals on the way to the North Pole Palace. You can visit Santa in the Garden Cabin, take pictures in his sleigh, and stop at a Christmas barn full of gifts.

Willow Oak allows service dogs only, the opposite of Lights & Leashes. Single strollers and wheelchairs can use the path, but the farm says some sections are harder to get through than others. If the weather is bad, tickets can be used on another evening, though they aren't refundable.

Two Nights in Annapolis

Visit Annapolis lists Grand Illumination, the tree lighting near Market House and City Dock, for Sunday, November 29, 2026. It also lists the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade for Saturday, December 12, 2026, and says it's free to watch. Downtown, Midnight Madness shopping nights fall on December 3, 10, and 17.

The Season in Date Order

1. November 20–22: Lights & Leashes at Sandy Point, on foot with leashed pets, $25 per car at the gate
2. November 23: Lights on the Bay drive-through opens
3. November 26: Thanksgiving, show open
4. November 27: Willow Oak North Pole Lights Walk begins, select nights
5. November 29: Grand Illumination tree lighting in Annapolis
6. December 7: Military Monday, $5 off at the gate with military ID
7. December 12: Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade, free to watch
8. December 21: Military Monday, $5 off at the gate with military ID
9. December 30: Willow Oak's last listed night
10. January 3, 2027: Lights on the Bay's final night

Sponsor Discount Nights and Santa's drive-through dates will be added to the SPCA's events page once they're announced.

Many of our Pasadena and Anne Arundel neighbors put Sandy Point on their calendar every year. If you have questions about life around the county this season, or if you're thinking about a move once the lights come down, Jimmy Rupert is glad to help with clear, honest local guidance. Let's Connect.