Holiday lights near Ashburn: Meadowlark from Nov. 11, Bull Run from Nov. 14 ($30-45 a car online) and free Starry Nights at two county parks Dec. 5 to Jan. 3.

Last checked Oct. 28, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services 2026-27 Winter Activity Guide, NOVA Parks Lights, the Loudoun County Public Library calendar and Downtown One Loudoun.

Ashburn’s holiday lights season starts in mid-November and runs to Jan. 3. The two big regional displays, NOVA Parks’ Bull Run Festival of Lights and Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights, open Nov. 14 and Nov. 11. Closer to home, Loudoun County lights up Claude Moore Park and Hanson Regional Park every night from Saturday, Dec. 5, free. Ashburn has no town government and no official parade; the fire department’s Santa ride, One Loudoun’s tree lighting and the county’s WinterFest are on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Updated Oct. 28: NOVA Parks has put 2026 tickets on sale; Bull Run is $30 to $45 a vehicle online, and Meadowlark is online-only Dec. 4-31.

Who to call

  • Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services: 703-777-0343
  • Ashburn Recreation and Community Center: 571-627-4999
  • Ashburn Library: 703-737-8100; Brambleton Library: 571-258-3998
  • NOVA Parks ticket help: tickets.novaparks.com/support
  • Emergency: 911; Sheriff’s Office non-emergency 703-777-0637

Free county light displays, Dec. 5 to Jan. 3

Loudoun County’s Starry Nights and Winter Lights marks the winter solstice with lighted trails, festive entertainment, nature crafts and hot cider and cocoa, according to the Winter Activity Guide. Every listing below is free and open to all ages.

Where Dates Hours
Claude Moore Park, 46150 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling Nightly Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 5 to 8 p.m.
Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park, 22831 Hanson Park Drive, Aldie Nightly Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 5 to 8 p.m.
Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Leesburg Sunday and Monday, Dec. 20-21 5 to 8 p.m.

Each park adds theme nights on top of the nightly lights:

  • Claude Moore Park: Holiday in the Park, Saturday, Dec. 12; Coco and Mallows, Sunday, Dec. 13; and a Save Our Gingerbread Man scavenger hunt on New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1, all 5 to 8 p.m.
  • Hanson Regional Park: Can You Catch the Gingerbread Man? on Friday, Jan. 1, and Art and the Senses on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 2-3, all 5 to 8 p.m. Hanson also hosts the county’s WinterFest on Saturday, Dec. 5.

The big regional displays

Bull Run Festival of Lights, Centreville. A 2.5-mile drive-through in Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive, open daily Nov. 14 to Jan. 3, weather permitting: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday and holidays. The Holiday Village, stable and carnival at the end of the drive are included with admission; carnival and camel rides cost extra. It is open on Thanksgiving, 5:30 to 10 p.m., with the carnival closed. Tickets for 2026 are on sale: NOVA Parks says admission is $30 to $45 a vehicle bought in advance online, depending on the date, plus tax and fees, and buying ahead saves up to $20 a vehicle. A 15-plus passenger bus is $75 online.

Winter Walk of Lights, Vienna. A half-mile walking trail of lights through Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, on paved paths suited to wheelchairs and strollers. Open Nov. 11 to Jan. 3: 5:30 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 3, then 5 to 10 p.m. from Dec. 4. Admission ends at 9:30 p.m. Tickets for 2026 are on sale, and from Dec. 4 to Dec. 31 they must be bought online; no tickets are sold at the door. Hot drinks and s’mores by the fire pit are sold on site, and NOVA Parks sets aside some nights for dogs.

In Ashburn

  • Great Ashburn Gingerbread Competition, Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road. The ninth annual contest takes entries Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, voting starts Dec. 7 and winners are named Dec. 14 in four age groups: 7 and younger, 8-12, 13-17 and adults. Library staff have the guidelines.
  • Snow Globes, Ashburn Library, 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, for elementary ages.
  • ARCC Craft Fair, Ashburn Recreation and Community Center, 21105 Coopers Hawk Drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. Free admission. Details are on the center’s page and in the activity guide.
  • Teen Art Hour: Embroidered Holiday Cards, Ashburn Library, 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, for middle and high school students.
  • Breakfast with Santa at Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station 6 is Sunday, Dec. 13; times are on our parade and tree lighting page.

Brambleton, Cascades and Sterling

  • Brambleton Gingerbread Competition, Brambleton Library, 22850 Brambleton Plaza. The library’s first gingerbread contest takes entries Dec. 1-8, voting runs Dec. 9-15 and winners are named Dec. 16, in the same four age groups.
  • Teen Cuisine: Holiday Muddy Buddies, Cascades Library, 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10.
  • Santa Swim, Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center, 46105 Loudoun Park Lane, Sterling, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Santa joins swimmers in the leisure pool. Register through PRCS Connect (activity 273780-01).
  • Holiday crafts for teens and adults, Cascades Library, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17.

Hanukkah and the One Loudoun tree

One Loudoun holds a Grand Menorah Lighting on the plaza at 20626 Easthampton Plaza with latkes, doughnuts and entertainment. The 2025 lighting, the eighth, was 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The 2026 date has not been posted. The Holiday Tree Lighting at One Loudoun was Saturday, Dec. 6, in 2025; see the parade and tree lighting page for this year once the date is out.

Holiday hours at the rec center pool

The Ashburn Recreation and Community Center pool closes at 11:45 a.m. on Thanksgiving, is open 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Christmas Eve, is closed Christmas Day, closes at 5:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and is open 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

What this means for you

The free county lights are the easy weeknight option: Claude Moore Park in Sterling is the closest, and the theme nights on Dec. 12-13 add cocoa and crafts. Save the Bull Run drive-through for a weekend and buy tickets ahead. Loudoun County Public Schools are on winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, so the second half of December is the busiest at every display. For the rest of the season, see Thanksgiving in Ashburn, holiday shopping and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights near Ashburn in 2026?

Loudoun County’s free Starry Nights and Winter Lights displays run 5 to 8 p.m. nightly Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 at Claude Moore Park in Sterling and Hanson Regional Park in Aldie. NOVA Parks runs the Bull Run Festival of Lights drive-through in Centreville from Nov. 14 and the Winter Walk of Lights in Vienna from Nov. 11.

Are the Loudoun County Starry Nights light displays free?

Yes. The county’s activity guide lists Starry Nights and Winter Lights as free for all ages, 5 to 8 p.m. every night Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 at Claude Moore Park and Hanson Regional Park, and Dec. 20-21 at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve.

When does the Bull Run Festival of Lights open in 2026?

Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, and it runs daily through Jan. 3, 2027: 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday and holidays, weather permitting. Advance online tickets are $30 to $45 a vehicle, depending on the date.

Is there a menorah lighting in Ashburn?

Yes. One Loudoun holds a Grand Menorah Lighting on its plaza each Hanukkah. The 2025 lighting, the eighth, was 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; the 2026 date has not been posted.

When is the Santa Swim in Loudoun County?

9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, in the leisure pool at the Claude Moore Recreation and Community Center in Sterling. Register through PRCS Connect.