Irvine's holiday displays open over four weeks this year. The Spectrum ice rink and Dream Glow at Wild Rivers have been running since Nov. 6. Hikari at Tanaka Farms and the Spectrum's nightly tree start Thanksgiving week. The City's Palm Court lights wait until Dec. 5. At the far end of the season, Holidayz at the Park runs until Jan. 3, two days after the Great Park's paid parking is scheduled to begin.
| Event | Where | 2026 run | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Rink | SunWheel Court, Irvine Spectrum Center | Nov. 6 to Jan. 3 | 90-minute sessions from 2 p.m. |
| Dream Glow Festival | Wild Rivers, 10000 Great Park Blvd. | Nov. 6 to Dec. 30 | Weekdays 5–9 p.m., weekends 5–9:30 p.m. |
| Hikari: Festival of Lights | Tanaka Farms, 5380 3/4 University Dr. | Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 | Wed.–Sun., 5–9 p.m. |
| Nightly Tree Lighting | SunWheel Court, Irvine Spectrum Center | Nov. 27 to Jan. 3 | 5–11 p.m. |
| Illuminate Irvine | Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex | Dec. 5 | 3–8 p.m. |
| Holidayz at the Park | Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex | Dec. 5 to Jan. 3 | Dusk to 9 p.m. daily |
Open now: the rink at SunWheel Court and Dream Glow
The Spectrum's holiday setup has moved to a new spot. The rink now sits in SunWheel Court, named for the 132-foot Spectrum SunWheel. The SunWheel replaced the old Giant Wheel, and its grand opening was Sept. 19. You buy rink tickets at the Ice Rink booth in SunWheel Court. They cost $27 per person with skate rental, or $24 if you bring your own skates. Sessions run 90 minutes, starting at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. every day. Fridays and Saturdays add a 10 p.m. session that ends at 11:30. On weeknights, the 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. sessions are the ones that fit after school pickup.
Dream Glow is back at Wild Rivers on Great Park Boulevard with a new layout. The 2026 version has more than 1,000 displays, split into three zones called Sweet Dreams, Outer Space and Christmas Fantasy. It also adds live performances, interactive activities, prizes and a Christmas market. Last year's zones included Realm of Dragons, Under the Sea and an Arctic Snow Village, so if you went in 2025, expect a different walk.
On the official Dream Glow site, tickets are $37 for adults and $25 for children, and kids under 3 get in free. Premium tickets are $53 for adults and $41 for children. Taxes, fees and on-site parking are included in all of these prices. The adult ticket went up by just $1 from 2025's $36.
Thanksgiving week: Hikari and the Spectrum tree
Two more displays open on Nov. 27.
At the Spectrum, the 75-foot tree and its light show run nightly from 5 to 11 p.m. in SunWheel Court through Jan. 3. The center's own event page suggests watching from the new SunWheel. With the rink, the wheel and the tree all in the same court, one parking trip covers all three.
Hikari at Tanaka Farms runs Wednesday through Sunday. It adds open nights on Dec. 21 through 23 and closes Dec. 24 and 25. New this year is Santa's Hilltop Village, with group photos with Santa from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Last admission is 7:30 p.m., even though the lights stay on until 9. That matters if you're coming from dinner across town.
The day you pick affects Hikari's price more than anything else. Here's what a family of two adults and two children would pay at each Irvine light walk:
- Hikari, Wednesday or Thursday: $28 per adult and $18 per child, with free parking. Total: $92.
- Hikari, Friday through Sunday: $33 per adult and $23 per child, plus $12 to park. Total: $124.
- Dream Glow, any night: $37 per adult and $25 per child, with parking included. Total: $124.
The $12 parking fee also applies on the added Dec. 21 through 23 nights. Military admission is $14 Wednesday and Thursday and $16.50 Friday through Sunday. On a weekend, the two farm-and-park light walks cost the same for a family of four. Going to Hikari on a weeknight saves that family $32. You pick a date and entry time when you buy Hikari tickets online.
Dec. 5: the busiest day of the season
The first Saturday in December has the most going on, with four things happening in different parts of the city:
- Skate with Santa at the Spectrum rink, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
- Illuminate Irvine at the Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex, 3 to 8 p.m. The City lists winter activities, holiday shopping and live performances of seasonal classics, ending with the lighting of the Holiday Tree and the Palm Court.
- Holidayz at the Park opens its Palm Court light display the same day. After that, you can walk it daily from dusk to 9 p.m. It includes a family photo spot in Santa's sleigh.
- Hikari is open, at Saturday prices.
A morning skate and an evening at the Palm Court fit together easily. Fitting Hikari in too means arriving at Tanaka Farms by 7:30 p.m., which is before Illuminate Irvine ends.
The City's 2026 holiday roundup also has two smaller traditions with December deadlines. Letters to Santa runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 12. Kids drop off letters at the Northwood, Portola Springs or Turtle Rock community centers, and Santa replies within a week. Replies go to the holiday mailbox at each center. The Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee toy drive takes new, unwrapped gifts for children 12 and younger through Dec. 12. You can drop them off at City Hall, the Irvine Police Department or the Great Park Visitors Center. There is also a drive-thru drop-off at the Civic Center on Dec. 6 and Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon.
One tradition is sitting out 2026
Metrolink's Holiday Express isn't running this year. Metrolink says on its Holiday Express page that the train "will be taking a break for the 2026 holiday season." If your family usually catches the train at Irvine Station, you'll need a different plan this December. Metrolink says it is looking forward to future holiday trips.
Jan. 1 to 3: Holidayz overlaps paid parking
The season's last change comes after New Year's. Culture OC reported on Oct. 23 that the Great Park's paid parking program is scheduled to begin Jan. 1. A City spokesperson told the outlet the park is installing license plate readers, along with signs that show how many spaces are left in each lot. Holidayz at the Park runs through Jan. 3. Every December night of the display falls before that date. The last three nights, Jan. 1 through 3, fall after it.
The City Council approved the parking program 6–1 in June, as Voice of OC reported. The June 23 staff report lists special-event rates of $25 or $35 for Lots 2 and E2, and $30 or $40 for the other listed lots. Under the same policy, Irvine residents, including Great Park neighborhood residents, would also pay special-event rates. If you live near the Palm Court and plan to bring visiting relatives to see the lights, going before New Year's keeps the outing under the parking rules in place now.
A burger stop on Great Park Boulevard
If your Dream Glow night starts or ends with dinner, In-N-Out at The Canopy at Great Park is at 7900 Great Park Blvd., on the same road as Wild Rivers. The OC Register reported it opened Sept. 4 as the center's first tenant. It's open 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Philz Coffee and Osen Urban Table are among the announced tenants. The Orange County Business Journal reported that developer Almquist expects the rest of the businesses to open in phases from late 2026 through early 2027.
If the holidays have you thinking about what your Great Park or Spectrum-area home is worth before the new year, Molly Mentaberry can help you plan around the calendar, just as you'd plan these December weekends. Get your instant home valuation, and we'll walk you through the next steps.
