This Year, the Hot Springs Holiday Season Opens Within a Single Stretch Around Thanksgiving

In most years the Hot Springs holiday season comes in pieces. Garvan's lights come on first, then downtown lights up, and the horses arrive a few weeks later. In 2026 those openings fall within nine days. Garvan Woodland Gardens opens Holiday Lights on Saturday, Nov. 21. Downtown turns on its lights at the chili cook-off on Monday, Nov. 23. Oaklawn starts live racing on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The Sentinel-Record reported that this is the earliest opening day in the track's history.

So the season's busiest stretch also comes first. If you live here, plan Saturday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 29 as a single schedule. After that, the calendar from early December to Jan. 10 is easier to manage.

The nine days, one by one

Here is how those nine days line up for anyone who lives within a short drive of Central Avenue:

• Saturday, Nov. 21. Garvan Woodland Gardens Holiday Lights opens for its 25th year. The gardens are lit by more than eight million lights.
• Monday, Nov. 23. The Tom Daniel Holiday Chili Cook Off & Holiday Lights Kick-Off is at the Exchange Street Parking Deck, starting at 4:30 p.m. Visit Hot Springs lists admission at $10 for adults and $5 for kids 10 and under. The same evening, more than one million lights come on across historic downtown.
• Thursday, Nov. 26. Thanksgiving. Garvan is closed for Holiday Lights that night.
• Friday, Nov. 27. Oaklawn's opening day. The Hot Springs Stakes runs that afternoon.
• Saturday, Nov. 28. Racing continues with the Fifth Season Stakes and the Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes. That evening, Ballet Arkansas performs The Nutcracker Suite at Oaklawn. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7.
• Sunday, Nov. 29. Storytime with Sugar Plum & Friends runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children 12 and under get in free with an adult, up to four children per adult. A Nutcracker Suite matinee follows, with doors at 1 p.m. and the show at 2.

If you're hosting Thanksgiving guests, this is one weekend with three different things to do. On Friday there's racing at Oaklawn. On Saturday there's racing in the afternoon and the ballet at night. On Sunday there's storytime and the matinee for the kids. Any evening outside of Thanksgiving night can be a timed visit to Garvan.

Why Oaklawn's opening is a bigger deal this year

The days leading into Thanksgiving already held Garvan's opening and the downtown lighting. Moving opening day to Nov. 27 adds Oaklawn to the same stretch, and demand for stalls is high. Oaklawn reported more than 2,300 horses submitted for 1,500 stalls for the 65-day season. Stalls went to 111 trainers from 18 states and two countries. Oaklawn president Louis A. Cella pointed to "a record stakes schedule and nearly $60 million in purses" in comments carried by the Sentinel-Record.

The early start also lengthens the opening stretch. The Holiday Season meet runs through Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. After a short break, the Classic Season opens Friday, Jan. 22, and runs through May 1. Oaklawn's 2026–27 condition book lists 18 racing days for the holiday meet. Most racing weeks have three race days, Friday through Sunday. Opening weekend races only Friday and Saturday, and Christmas weekend races Saturday and Sunday.

What a local needs to know at the gate

A day at the track during the holiday meet costs little. Oaklawn says gate admission is free every race day. Its Know Before You Go page lists parking in all Oaklawn lots at $5 on live racing days, cash only, and free after 2 p.m. Prices may change on special race days. Programs cost $2. Backpacks, outside food and drinks, and pets are not allowed, though service animals are. Grandstand seats need mobile or will-call tickets bought ahead of time on Oaklawn's site.

The 2026–27 condition book sets first post at 12:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and at noon on Premiere Race Days. Oaklawn's general racing page still lists 12:45 p.m., so check the day's post time before you leave the house. Since the first race goes off at 12:30, the free parking after 2 p.m. means you'll miss the early races.

There are plenty of dining options without leaving the grounds. The Oaklawn dining lineup includes Mainline Sports Bar, The OAK room & bar, The Bugler, Silks Bar and Grill, and The First Turn. The Nutcracker weekend performances are in the Oaklawn Event Center, which seats 1,500.

Garvan runs on timed tickets, so book early

Garvan's Holiday Lights runs every night from Nov. 21 through Dec. 31, 5 to 9:30 p.m., with last admission at 9. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets are sold for a specific date and entry time. Members can visit without a reservation.

Prices depend on the night and on whether you buy ahead. Garvan's Holiday Lights page lists these prices:

On a standard night, buying online saves $8 per adult. On a premium night it saves $10. Over a six-week run, an annual habit of taking every set of visiting relatives can make a membership worth pricing out against single tickets. The opening nights are the obvious first choice, and because entry is timed, those slots are the ones to book first. Garvan's site also has an older FAQ page with different hours, so use the ticket page as the current source.

Downtown parking has a new option this year

The downtown lighting on Nov. 23 is the first big evening on Central Avenue, and parking there now has a new way to pay. On Sept. 23, 2026, the City of Hot Springs announced ParkMobile as an extra payment option for public parking. There are two zones, 50101 and 50102. Kiosks and the existing app still work. You can pay in the ParkMobile app, on the web with guest checkout and no account, by texting "PARK" to 77223, or by calling the toll-free number on the parking signs. You can also add time remotely, within each zone's rules and limits. The city's parking page lists locations and rates.

The cook-off is in the Exchange Street Parking Deck. The Downtown Hot Springs Association says tickets go on sale Nov. 1 and that teams can register now. Final 2026 ticket details are still to come, so treat the $10 and $5 prices as listed for now.

After the opening week, the season settles into weekends

Eleven days after Thanksgiving, downtown fills up again. The Hot Springs Christmas Parade is Monday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m. This year's theme is "Stars & Stripes" for America's 250th. Float entry is listed at $150. According to the parade's site, registration closes at noon on Nov. 20 or when 90 floats have signed up, whichever comes first. If your business or club wants a float, the deadline falls the day before Garvan's lights come on.

After the parade, the calendar is mostly weekends at Oaklawn plus a few evening shows. Here are the dates from Oaklawn's stakes schedule and the Visit Hot Springs events calendar:

• Thursday, Dec. 3: Ice on Ice, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 5: Poinsettia Stakes
• Saturday, Dec. 12: Ring the Bell Stakes
• Thursday, Dec. 17: Celtic Woman, 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 18: Josh Turner, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 19: Advent Stakes and Pippin Stakes
• Saturday, Dec. 26: Year's End Stakes and Tinsel Stakes
• Thursday, Dec. 31: Old School New Year's Eve Party, 8 p.m., and the last night of Garvan's Holiday Lights
• Friday, Jan. 1: "The Coach" Overnight Stakes
• Saturday, Jan. 2: Smarty Jones Stakes and Astral Spa Overnight Stakes
• Saturday, Jan. 9: Silks Overnight Stakes and Oaklawn Anywhere Overnight Stakes

Racing on New Year's Day follows Garvan's last night, and Oaklawn's Holiday Season meet ends Sunday, Jan. 10. Oaklawn says more promotions for the 2026–27 season will be announced, so check its promotions page closer to opening day.

If family is coming for Thanksgiving and someone at the table starts asking what it's like to live here year-round, Tammy Browning and the team at Trademark Real Estate, Inc are glad to answer those questions too. Let's Connect.