---
title: "Enchanted Airlie 2026: Dates, Tickets, and How to Get In Before It Sells Out"
description: "Plan your 2026 Enchanted Airlie visit with event dates, October ticket sales, carload pricing, and arrival windows for Airlie Gardens’ holiday light walk."
url: "https://www.wilmingtonbeachrentals.com/things-to-do/enchanted-airlie-holiday-lights/"
published: "2026-09-10"
updated: "2026-09-10"
neighborhood: "wrightsville-beach"
---

# Enchanted Airlie 2026: Dates, Tickets, and How to Get In Before It Sells Out

Enchanted Airlie is a half-mile evening walk through holiday lights and music at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. You drive in together, park, and explore on foot, with one $35 carload ticket covering everyone in your vehicle before tax and fees. For 2026, public tickets go on sale Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. Airlie warns that dates and times sell out.

The lights run Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 1-21, with four reservation times each night. If you're choosing a December weekend around the event, get the ticket before arranging the rest of the evening. Check [Airlie's official event and ticket page](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/) before buying for the current prices and policies.

## At a glance

- **Where:** Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road, Wilmington, on the mainland near Wrightsville Beach.
- **Dates:** Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 1-21, 2026. No event Nov. 29-30 or after Dec. 21.
- **Cost:** $35 per standard carload, plus tax and fees; onsite parking included.
- **Public sale:** Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. Eastern; eligible members have earlier sales.
- **Evening slots:** 5:30-6:30, 6:30-7:30, 7:30-8:30 and 8:30-9:30 p.m.

## Put the October ticket sale on your calendar

The holiday walk is the December outing, but October is when you need to make the reservation. Airlie has three sale mornings, each beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern, depending on your membership level.

| Ticket access | 2026 sale date |
| --- | --- |
| Azalea, Magnolia and Camellia members | Wednesday, Oct. 14 |
| Family and Individual members | Wednesday, Oct. 21 |
| General public | Wednesday, Oct. 28 |

To use a member presale, have your membership active before September ends. Members can reserve their included benefit tickets during their presale; extra tickets become available to them at the public sale. A membership doesn't guarantee a reservation once the event has sold out. These are [Airlie's published sale dates and membership conditions](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/).

Before your sale morning, agree on a first-choice evening and a backup with everyone riding in your car. Have your membership number handy if you're using a presale. That saves trying to settle dinner plans or track down an account number while you're buying.

Start from Airlie's website and follow its link to Etix, the official ticket provider. Airlie also sells advance tickets onsite, but there are no event-gate or phone sales. The purchase limit is two tickets per transaction. If you're buying for two cars, make sure both reservations cover the same date and slot.

## How the carload price works

Choose the ticket for the vehicle your group will arrive in. The standard $35 ticket covers a car, standard truck, SUV or minivan that fits a standard parking space. Parking and admission for its passengers are included, and everybody using that ticket must arrive in that vehicle. Walk-ins and bicycles aren't admitted, so meeting friends inside after arriving separately won't work on a single ticket.

For a family of four in one standard car, the base admission works out to $8.75 each: $35 divided by four, before tax and online fees. Two people in that same car pay $17.50 each before those additions. Those are shared-cost examples using the posted 2026 price, not separately sold tickets. A second car needs its own admission even if the total group is small.

[Airlie lists an XL van ticket at $65](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/), with specially reserved group admission at $85 for nonprofit organizations and $125 for for-profit organizations, plus tax and fees. For a passenger van, Sprinter or larger vehicle, confirm the appropriate ticket directly with Airlie at 910-798-7700 before purchasing. Don't assume a larger vehicle qualifies for the standard carload rate.

Buying in advance at the Airlie Gardens Gift Shop avoids the online service fee, although tax still applies. Choose that option if an onsite purchase suits your schedule; waiting until the night of the event isn't an alternative to reserving ahead.

## Choose a slot that leaves time for the walk

Your ticket has both an arrival window and a required departure time. Getting there near the end of the arrival window leaves less time to walk, and arriving earlier than allowed doesn't guarantee admission or parking.

[Airlie's arrival rules](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/) give these windows:

| Ticket start | Arrive between | Leave by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5:30 p.m. | 5:15 and 6 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 6:15 and 7 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| 7:30 p.m. | 7:15 and 8 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| 8:30 p.m. | 8:15 and 9 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |

For example, arriving at 6 p.m. on a 5:30 ticket leaves 30 minutes before you must exit. If your group needs a slower pace, aim toward the beginning of the permitted arrival window. Guests who stay beyond their ticket's ending time may face an additional charge.

An early slot gives families a chance to finish before a late bedtime. A later one can work after dinner, provided you leave room for the drive and parking instead of scheduling a restaurant departure against the latest possible admission time. Our guide to [Wrightsville Beach restaurants with a view](https://www.wilmingtonbeachrentals.com/where-to-eat/wrightsville-beach-restaurants-with-a-view/) can help you choose a meal nearby. Check the restaurant's winter hours when making that plan.

## What the evening at Airlie is like

The visit is outdoors and self-guided, with holiday music accompanying the lights along the walking route. Wear shoes you can walk in comfortably and bring a layer for the evening. You can make it the main outing with children or pair it with dinner, but the fixed departure time makes it a poor fit for anyone hoping to spend several hours wandering the grounds.

Enchanted Airlie began in 2005 and is the gardens' largest annual fundraiser. Airlie says proceeds support projects including stormwater management in the Bradley Creek watershed. The setting has a longer public history: New Hanover County purchased the gardens in 1999, as described in [Airlie's history](https://airliegardens.org/about-the-gardens/).

If you want more time to explore the gardens, plan a separate [daytime Airlie visit](https://www.wilmingtonbeachrentals.com/things-to-do/airlie-gardens-day-visit/). The holiday reservation covers this evening event. Families returning after a few years should also know that Santa Claus is no longer part of Enchanted Airlie, according to the [event FAQ](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/).

## FAQs

### What happens if it rains?

Enchanted Airlie runs in rain and cold. Airlie may cancel for dangerous weather, usually making that decision by 4 p.m. on the event day and notifying ticket holders by email and online. Canceled dates aren't rescheduled. If the event goes ahead and you skip your slot, you forfeit the ticket. [Airlie's weather policy](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/) explains how cancellation notices are issued.

### My date is sold out. Is there a waitlist?

There is no waitlist. Returned or refunded tickets appear for purchase when available on the official ticket page, so checking again may help, but another ticket isn't guaranteed. Use the ticket link on [Airlie's event page](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/) to reach its official seller.

### Can I get a refund or change my date?

Submit the request through Etix at least 24 hours before your scheduled time. Approval isn't guaranteed, and exchanges depend on ticket availability. Airlie's posted policy includes a $5 exchange or refund fee, and online ticket fees are nonrefundable. Follow the Etix request link in [Airlie's refund policy](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/).

### Is the route stroller and wheelchair accessible?

Airlie describes the half-mile route as accessible to strollers, wheelchairs and walkers. Loan wheelchairs are free, first come, first served, with an ID left at checkout. Visitor trams don't operate during Enchanted Airlie. See [Airlie's accessibility information](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/) when planning for your group.

### Can I bring my dog?

Pets aren't permitted. Airlie allows service animals, as stated in its [event FAQ](https://airliegardens.org/events/enchanted-airlie/).

## Leave room for an evening walk

Once you have the ticket, keep the rest of the night simple. Let your reservation determine when you eat, have everyone ready to leave in the same car, and allow enough time to park without using up the walk. When you reach the gardens, you can put the phone away and enjoy the lights together.