Dorothea Dix Park Lights Show
Updated November 20, 2024
Dorothea Dix Park twinkled in Christmas cheer in 2021 and 2022 at the WRAL Night of Lights Drive-Thru Light Show. However, WRAL announced in 2023 that they will no longer be hosting the event at Dorthea Dix Park and it’s unclear if there will be a Night of Lights in 2024. We’ve reached out to them in November 2024 and will update this page as soon as we hear back!
We are seeing that the WRAL Night of Lights Google Business Profile is showing that it is “permanently closed” as of November 20, 2024.
For information on years past, the below article provides more information.
If you’re looking for another fun, festive way to celebrate the Christmas season, we do offer Christmas picnics that include an assortment of vintage and antique Christmas decor!
WRAL Night of Lights
This will be a drive-through Christmas light display that spans 1.3 miles throughout Dorothea Dix Park. Various oak trees, local art installations, and festive light displays will all be lit up in brilliant Christmas lights, transforming the park into a winter wonderland as the sun sets.
Dates
We’ve reached out to WRAL to see if they will be hosting this event again in 2023 and we will update when we learn more.
General Event Nights
Friday, November 25 through Saturday, December 24, 2022.
Christmas Week Nights
Saturday, December 17 through Saturday, December 24, 2022. The event has been extended through Christmas Eve this year!
Special Events Nights
Night of Lights 5K Fun Walk/Run - Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 7:00 PM
Bike Nights - Wednesday, November 30, 2022 and Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Tickets and Cost
- Tickets can be purchased online and will go on sale on Friday, September 30, 2022 at 9:00 AM. We recommend purchasing in advance as this did sell out in 2020.
- Vehicle, up to 8 passengers - $20
- Commercial vehicle, 9 passengers or more - $30
- VIP Fast Lane (Vehicle heigh capacity is 10’0”) - $40
- Bike (On Bike Nights only) - $10 per person, not per vehicle
- Family of Bikes (On Bike Nights only) - $25 for up to four people
- 5K (On 5K Fun Walk/Run night only) - $30 for early bird pricing, and $40 for general admission
Early Bird Pricing
If you purchase a general admission ticket before November 1, 2022 for a Thursday or Sunday night, you’ll save $5.
Know Before You Go
- Have your tickets ready to go. Bring either your printed tickets with you or have them ready on your phone in advance. WRAL recommends if you’re using a mobile ticket, save it in your photo album so you can easily pull it up at entry. When you enter the park, a staff member will scan your tickets on the driver's side. If you have untinted windows, you can keep your windows rolled up during this process, although staff members will be wearing masks and maintaining a social distance.
- Plan for traffic and wait times. Since this is a drive-thru event, there will be lots of cars which means traffic. The busiest nights are likely to be right before Christmas, so plan accordingly with snacks, some car games, and use the restroom before you leave for the event. The park and WRAL are working to make this a more seamless event this year, with less traffic, but it will be helpful to be prepared for some wait times as a precaution.
- Don’t be too early. Plan to arrive no more than ten minutes before your ticket time block. If you are earlier, you may be asked to wait in a holding area.
Map of general entrance point for WRAL Night of Lights in Dorothea Dix Park.
- Enter the park correctly. Enter the park at the intersection of Hunt Drive and Western Boulevard. A good address to map to is 75 Hunt Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603.
For VIP ticket holders, you may enter through Lake Wheeler Road and Umstead Drive (some phone GPS may show this as “Lake Wheeler and Black Road”).
- Once you enter, follow the signage and Route Control staff to begin the drive-thru.
- Turn off your headlights as you exit ticketing lanes and start through the drive-thru.
- Drive safely. Only passengers should be taking photos and videos. Drivers should focus on driving the vehicle and keeping everyone in and outside their car safe. Photos are also meant for personal use only and not to be hosted on business sites.
- Leaving safely. As you leave, turn your headlights back on and exit onto Lake Wheeler Road.
Themed Sections
There will be five themed sections throughout the route. Toyland will feature a 25-foot gingerbread house, Wild Lights will boast a 30-foot dinosaur, Santa’s Workshop will dazzle with an animated 250-foot tunnel, the North Pole Neon sign will be made up of more than 500 feet of custom neons from local artist Nate Sheaffer, and Winter Wonderland will, of course, have Old Man Winter standing guard!
Sources
- WRAL. “Night of Lights: WRAL, Raleigh Present Holiday Lights at Dix Park”. https://www.wral.com/WRAL-presents-Nights-of-Lights-at-Dix-Park/19317026/. 30 September 2021
- WRAL. “Order Tickets WRAL Nights of Lights”. https://www.wral.com/tickets-WRAL-Nights-of-Lights/19350647/. 30 September 2021
- Race Reach. “Night of Lights 5K | Raleigh, NC”. https://event.racereach.com/night-of-lights-5k. 30 September 2021
About the Author
Angela Byrnes - Owner, Southern Picnics
Angela is the owner of Southern Picnics and started the business in September 2020. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Writing and Literature. She later attended Duke University where she received a certificate in Digital Media and Marketing