The first people to see this year's new displays at Watkins Regional Park won't be in a car. On Saturday, November 21, runners and walkers get the lit roads for Trot for a Turkey. The next evening, cyclists get them for Bikes and Lights. The gate on Route 202 doesn't open to cars until Friday, November 27, after Thanksgiving.
That order matters in the festival's 40th year. Prince George's County Parks is promoting this season as "New year, new displays, same tradition," with "over 90+ new displays" on the main festival page. The Bikes and Lights page puts the count at more than 100. Either way, a lot of the route is new, and for two evenings it's open only to people on foot or on bikes.
Six days, three ways in
The full run-up, from the first car-free night to New Year's Day:
| Date | Event | Cost | How you see the lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21, 6–8 p.m. | Trot for a Turkey | $35 | Running or walking |
| Sun., Nov. 22, 5–7 p.m. | Bikes and Lights | $5 per rider | Bicycle, no cars on the festival roads |
| Fri., Nov. 27 through Fri., Jan. 1 | Festival of Lights | $20 per standard car | Drive-through |
| Fri., Jan. 1 | Festival of Lights, New Year's Day | Free | Drive-through |
Trot for a Turkey is a run or walk through the light display. PG Parks says registration helps provide holiday turkeys to families in need. It's the one night of the season when you see the displays at walking speed.
Bikes and Lights runs the next evening for two hours. Every rider needs a bike light and a helmet, and no vehicles are allowed on the festival roads during the event. Children riding in tagalongs, bike seats and trailers ride free, so a family with a toddler in a trailer pays for the adults only. PG Parks notes that space is limited. With a $5 ticket and a two-hour window, it's the cheapest way to see the 40th-anniversary displays.
A five-night experiment that now spans the holidays
The festival started much smaller. A Washington Post report from December 10, 1987 called it a new event, scheduled for December 16 through 20. That was five nights in the week before Christmas.
The count lines up from there. PG Parks called the 2022 season the 36th annual and the 2023 season the 37th annual, which makes 2026 the 40th. Both of those seasons ran from the Friday after Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, the same window as this year's. The 2026 listing shows 37 remaining dates as of mid-October. A festival that once fit in one week now covers the whole holiday season.
The hayrides show how quickly something new becomes part of the tradition here. In 2023, the county announced them as new, along with a three-mile drive, more than 2.5 million LED lights and a 54-foot musical tree. Three seasons later, the 40th-anniversary page sells "the same hayrides you love." The 2026 listing doesn't give an updated light count or describe the tree. What it does promise is new displays along a route that, for one Sunday, belongs to bicycles.
Once the cars arrive, you pay per car
From November 27, the festival works on vehicle pricing. Under the 2026 admissions list, a standard car is $20. Vehicles that seat 7 to 14 passengers, such as a Winnebago or limo, are $80. A 15-passenger shuttle bus is also $80, and a bus with 16 or more seats, including a PGCPS bus, is $240.
These are flat rates. PG Parks sets them by the average seating capacity of that vehicle model, not by how many people are inside. A sedan carrying five pays the same $20 as a sedan carrying one. If you're hosting out-of-town family in December, one full car is the cheapest way through the gate.
The other details to know before you go:
- The patron entrance is on Route 202. The event address is 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774.
- The listing shows 5 to 9:30 p.m., but the entrance block says the gate opens at 5:30 p.m. and closes at 9:30 p.m. nightly.
- You pay at the gate, and both cash and cards are accepted.
- Coach buses aren't allowed because of the lighting structures and safety precautions. School buses are allowed.
- Limos and 15-passenger buses must reserve through [email protected].
- The listing includes December 25 among its dates.
- New Year's Day is free.
The wagon rides work differently from car admission, and their rules catch people who show up expecting to buy at the gate:
- Buy the tickets online, since all wagon ride sales are online. Prices are $15 per adult and $10 per child.
- Arrive at the gate one hour before your reservation.
- Plan around the reservation time, because missed or canceled reservations aren't refunded.
The festival is also collecting hats, scarves, gloves and socks for nearby shelters this season. Bring them along, but a donation doesn't guarantee admission.
Watkins in daylight, while the lights go up
The month before the festival opens is a good time to visit the parts of Watkins you can see in daylight. Old Maryland Farm is free. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Mondays. Its posted 2026 events run through a family tour on November 20.
Watkins Nature Center keeps the same hours, Tuesday through Sunday with Mondays closed. Its free Woolly Bear Wingding is on Saturday, November 14.
The Wonderful World of Watkins, home to the carousel and the miniature train, is closed for the season according to the park's main page. Plan November visits around the farm and the nature center.
One more Watkins event lands right as this post goes up. A Magical Night of Wizardry is Friday, October 30, from 7 to 10 p.m.
The rest of Upper Marlboro's run-up to Thanksgiving
Watkins isn't the only Upper Marlboro venue with a busy November. The other events around town this month mostly fall on weekends and in daylight, which leaves Sunday the 22nd open for the bike night.
The Show Place Arena at the Prince George's Equestrian Center, 14900 Pennsylvania Avenue, has just finished hosting the Washington International Horse Show, which ran October 19 through 25. The arena's 2026 season schedule lists Best Horse Shows from October 30 through November 1, then the Potomac Valley Dressage Association on November 7 and 8. The schedule was published in the spring, so check the arena's page before you head over.
On the Patuxent side of town, the Patuxent River Park calendar lists Bird Watching at Jug Bay on Saturday, November 14, from 8 to 11 a.m. That's the same day as the Woolly Bear Wingding at Watkins, so a household could do Jug Bay in the morning and the Nature Center in the afternoon. The Jug Bay Homeschool Nature Club also meets November 4, with separate sessions for ages 5 to 10 and 11 to 15.
Closer to Main Street, the Town of Upper Marlboro calendar lists Trunk-or-Treat at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.
Put together, the month goes like this. The horse shows wrap up in early November. Jug Bay and the Nature Center share November 14. The festival roads open to runners on November 21 and to cyclists on November 22. Cars start through the Route 202 gate on November 27.
Forty seasons in, the Festival of Lights is one of the fixed points of December in central Prince George's County. If you're thinking about a move that keeps Watkins close, or you're weighing what your home near it could sell for, Catrina Jackson knows these Upper Marlboro streets and calendars well. Let's Connect.
