By Jim Carchidi
September 2, 2026
Summer is not nearly over but Leu Gardens is ready to deck the halls. Tickets are officially on sale for the seventh year of the Dazzling Nights holiday spectacle, beginning Nov. 20 and running through Jan. 3.
Making magic
Produced by Creative City Project and presented by AdventHealth, Dazzling Nights offers immersive experiences on a mile-long path through Leu Gardens’ 50 acre property. Guests can enjoy animated displays, play areas, and live entertainment with a “Twinkle Market” of food and merchandise vendors at the end of the journey.
Creative City Project founder and executive director Cole NeSmith told The Orlando Real that in-house production teams begin designing, animating, and fabricating elements of the event more than a year in advance. Creative City also produces Orlando’s IMMERSE festival, and the experiences gained from one project aid the creation of the other.
“Everything that we do definitely informs everything else,” NeSmith said. “We are constantly learning how to more efficiently build things, store them more efficiently, and what materials can help us ensure longevity."
Festive experiences
This year, Dazzling Nights guests will stroll through a 60-foot tunnel of illuminated poinsettias on the way to immersive environments. The Yeti Mine Adventure, Glowing Forest, and Crystal Kingdom will return. And a new a high-energy acrobatic dance performance will be staged in a wintry world called DriftLands. The giant star constructed in the Rose Garden for the 2025 event will be replaced by a 50-foot snowman backdropping performances of holiday tunes.
Tickets and parking
Entry times will begin at 5:30 p.m. and ticket prices start at $35 for adults and $33 for children ages 4 to 12. On-site parking will be valet only with a complimentary shuttle transporting guests to and from off-site lots. Additional parking information will be posted on the event website. Tickets are available at DazzlingOrlando.com.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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