The Village of Pinehurst lights its Christmas tree on Friday, Dec. 4. A week earlier, on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, two other events open the holiday season in other parts of town. At 5 p.m. the inaugural Sandhills Garden of Lights opens at the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens on Airport Road. At 7 p.m. Pinehurst Resort's 500-drone Festive in Flight show goes up over The Cradle. You need a ticket for both. The Village's own events at Tufts Memorial Park still fill out October and early December.
Last Year's Lights Ran Along a Single Campus Path
The college's holiday display last season was small. The Pilot reported that Sandhills Community College set up light tunnels and more than 15 themed trees along the brick path between the Boyd Library and the Dempsey Student Center. It was open from 4:30 p.m. to midnight through Jan. 5, 2026, and the college's facilities team, faculty, staff and students decorated the trees.
This year's show is much larger. The Sandhills Garden of Lights spreads more than one million lights across about half of the Horticultural Gardens' 34 acres. Mosca Design of Youngsville, N.C., is producing it. Mosca has also built holiday displays at the Greensboro Science Center and the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville. The college and Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen are presenting it together. According to the college's June 3 announcement, the tourism authority brought the idea to the college. Its president and CEO, Phil Werz, explained why:
"The holidays in the Pinehurst area are magical and have a Hallmark postcard aura, so we wanted to kick things up a notch and provide a meaningful seasonal experience for our visitors, local residents and families."
College President Alexander "Sandy" Stewart said in the same release that the school expects to "host guests from the region, all of North Carolina and beyond." Because a tourism authority started the project, the Gardens will draw out-of-town visitors this winter, and residents will be sharing the evenings with them.
The Gardens Stay Open by Day and Need a Ticket at Night
The college says the Horticultural Gardens are open to the public 365 days a year. Winter hours, from Nov. 1 through March 31, are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Garden of Lights starts at 5 p.m. A daytime walk through the Gardens stays open to the public as usual. An evening visit to the same paths requires a ticket on Wednesday through Sunday nights.
The college's Garden of Lights page lists the details:
- Address: Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3245 Airport Rd., Pinehurst
- Nights and hours: Wednesdays through Sundays, 5 to 10 p.m.
- Route: one-way walk-through that starts at the Ball Visitor Center and ends near Steed Hall
- Parking: free on the Sandhills Community College campus, with shuttles between the parking areas and the event
- Accessible parking: the lot next to the Ball Visitor Center is reserved for guests with disabilities and mobility needs
- Weather: open rain or shine. If the college closes the Gardens for dangerous weather such as freezing rain, high winds or lightning, tickets are honored on another date and the primary ticket holder gets an email.
- Groups: sales for parties of 10 or more at 910-695-3884
Inside, the college lists interactive light orbs, holiday characters including Santa on select nights, and concessions with hot chocolate and hot and cold adult drinks. The walk ends with a giant walk-through mushroom, oversized flowers and a rainbow caterpillar.
Two details were still unsettled as of mid-October. The first is tickets. The college page still says "Tickets Coming Soon!" and doesn't list prices. Visit Pinehurst's event listing says tickets would go on sale Oct. 1, lists admission as TBA, and links back to the college page. The second is the closing date. The college's event page and Pinehurst Resort's listing both end the run on Jan. 9, 2027, while Visit Pinehurst and the college's June announcement say Jan. 10. If you're planning around the last weekend, check the college page closer to the date.
Nov. 27 at The Cradle
The Garden of Lights' first night is also the night of the Resort's third annual Festive in Flight. The Resort says this year's show uses 500 synchronized drones over The Cradle golf course. The drones go up promptly at 7 p.m. and finish by about 7:15. The rest of the evening includes:
- Seasonal music from DJ Saxy, a Moore County local
- Santa photos and stilt walkers
- A Neon LED Glow Putting 18-hole course
- Food from the Maniac Grill food truck, plus pop-up bars with holiday cocktails and warm drinks
Seating is limited, and the Resort asks guests to bring their own lawn chairs. Admission requires a ticket. Children 2 and under get in free. Ages 3 to 11 need a child ticket, and ages 12 and up need an adult ticket. The Resort sells tickets through Eventbrite, which lists prices starting at $47.64, free parking, and the Pinehurst Clubhouse at 1 Carolina Vista Drive as the event address.
The drone show ends around 7:15 and the Garden of Lights stays open until 10. On paper you could see both that Friday, if you have tickets to each.
The Village Green Has October and Early December
The Village's own calendar is still busy. The schedule below runs from this weekend to the tree lighting.
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Holly Arts & Crafts Festival. This is the 48th year, according to Pinehurst Business Partners. The Village lists more than 200 hand-crafters at James W. Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road West, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking is in the Village Green/Tufts Park gravel lot and the Dogwood Road gravel lot. Kirk Tours & Limousine runs a free shuttle from Rassie Wicker Park, 10 Rassie Wicker Drive.
- Same day: PineyFest. This is new this year. Kids ages 5 to 17 sell things they made themselves on the grassy area next to Tufts Archives, and it's free to attend. Volunteers run it, according to the PineyFest page, and vendor registration has already filled.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Oktoberfest. Kinderfest and village trick-or-treating run from 4 to 6 p.m. at Tufts Memorial Park, followed by German music, food trucks and vendors from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Nov. 23 to 28: Shop Small. The Village's promotion ends on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, the day after both openings on the other side of town.
- Friday, Dec. 4: Village Christmas Tree Lighting and A Village Christmas. The Village event runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Tufts Memorial Park, and the tree is lit at 6:30. Pinehurst Business Partners holds its A Village Christmas open house the same evening.
One event is off the 2026 calendar. Pinehurst Business Partners says on its events page that Rock the Village will not take place this year. The Sandhills Farmers Market at Tufts Park already ended its season on Sept. 30, so there are no Wednesday or Saturday market mornings left before the holidays.
Two Resort Venues Are Still Closed
The Resort also has two holiday-season gaps that the event listings don't mention. Its Sept. 9 update says the Carolina Dining Room closed May 6 for renovation and is expected to reopen in late December, with breakfast served at other Resort venues in the meantime. The Spa at Pinehurst is closed for renovation from June 15 through December 2026, and treatments are being given in converted East Wing guest rooms. Both reopening dates are the Resort's estimates. If a Carolina Dining Room holiday breakfast with visiting family is on your list, check the Resort updates page first.
If your Pinehurst home will be full of guests over Thanksgiving week, or you're thinking about hosting renters during the Garden of Lights run, Meese Property Group can help. Our Stay Well Vacation Rentals team plans around local calendars like this one every season. Request a Personalized Consultation and we'll go over what the holiday weeks could look like for your property.
