Merry & Bright at Poplar Grove is an outdoor holiday light walk with Santa, campfires, movies, carnival games, and activities for children. It runs from 5 to 9 p.m. during four blocks of dates between November 27 and December 22, 2026. Tickets start at $10 per person, with children 2 and younger admitted free.
The event takes place at Poplar Grove Historic House & Museum in Scotts Hill, about 15 miles north of downtown Wilmington. Merry & Bright raises money for the nonprofit Poplar Grove Foundation. Plan on roughly half an hour in the car from downtown before you reach the lights.
What a night at Merry & Bright looks like
Once you enter, the evening unfolds as a walk around decorated grounds rather than a drive-through display. Poplar Grove lists illuminated trees, themed activity areas, visits with Santa, outdoor holiday movies, a balloon artist, vintage carnival games, and a juried gift show. Campfires give families a place to roast marshmallows, while food trucks and concessions provide dinner or snacks.
This representative illustration interprets the vintage carnival games listed for Merry & Bright. The event may use a different setup.
Families can move between several activities instead of following one continuous garden route. You can stop for a movie, try a game, warm up near a campfire, and join the Santa line when your group is ready. Food, concessions, marshmallow supplies, and gift-show purchases can add to the ticket cost.
This representative illustration shows marshmallow roasting at an outdoor holiday event. Poplar Grove may arrange its campfires differently.
The manor house is also decorated with scenes inspired by A Christmas Story. The organizer describes the lighted grounds and many activity areas as part of admission, but it doesn’t publish a minute-by-minute schedule for each attraction. Check the official Merry & Bright page before leaving for any same-day changes.
Pick from four blocks of 2026 dates
The first three weekends run Friday through Sunday. Opening weekend is November 27-29, followed by December 4-6 and December 11-13. The final block runs five nights, Friday through Tuesday, December 18-22. Every open night has the same 5 to 9 p.m. schedule.
That pattern leaves several gaps. Merry & Bright is closed Monday through Thursday during the first three weeks, then adds Monday and Tuesday during its final run. The season ends two nights before Christmas Eve. If your trip falls on a closed date, another holiday display will be the better fit.
Families coming mainly for Santa should arrive with enough time to enjoy the rest of the grounds before joining the line. Santa begins receiving visitors at the gazebo when the event opens at 5 p.m., and the last call to enter the line is 8:30 p.m. Arriving late can leave very little room for games, food, or a movie before closing.
Know what each ticket option costs
The standard ticket is $10 for each guest, regardless of age, except children 2 and younger, who enter free. The $35 family pass covers two adults and two children ages 2-11. Buying four standard tickets would cost $40, so the family pass saves $5 for a group that matches those ages exactly.
The $100 season pass covers the same family configuration for the full run. At list price, that pass costs the same as 10 individual admissions and becomes less expensive than buying a $35 family pass for three separate visits. Most vacationers will probably attend once, while the season pass is aimed more at nearby families who expect to return.
Poplar Grove links ticket sales through FareHarbor. Follow the purchase link from the organizer’s event page to see the current checkout price. The public page does not explain gate sales, refunds, parking fees, or timed entry. Call Poplar Grove at 910-398-5673 if one of those details will determine whether your group can attend.
Plan the drive north on U.S. 17
Poplar Grove’s Wilmington mailing address can make the venue sound closer to the city than it is. The museum sits at 10200 U.S. Highway 17 in Scotts Hill, across the Pender County line. From downtown Wilmington, follow Market Street and U.S. 17 north for about 15 miles. The trip is usually around half an hour before seasonal traffic or construction delays.
Visitors starting near Wrightsville Beach can reach U.S. 17 through Military Cutoff Road. Allow extra time on Friday evening, when commuter traffic and holiday plans share the same corridor. Put the museum address into navigation before leaving, because this is not a display you can spot from downtown or the beach roads.
The organizer has not published parking arrangements or accessibility details for the 2026 event. If someone in your group uses a wheelchair, walker, or stroller, call ahead to ask about the route across the historic grounds. Wear shoes suited to an outdoor walk and bring a layer for a December evening.
Merry & Bright or Enchanted Airlie?
These events offer different kinds of holiday nights. Merry & Bright costs less for one or two people and gives young children more activities beyond the lights. Enchanted Airlie is closer to Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, uses a timed reservation, and centers the evening on a half-mile garden walk.
| If you care most about | Merry & Bright | Enchanted Airlie |
|---|---|---|
| Base ticket | $10 per person; $35 for a qualifying family of four | $35 per standard carload, before tax and fees |
| Location | Scotts Hill, about 15 miles north of downtown | Airlie Gardens in Wilmington |
| Format | Lights, Santa, campfires, games, movies, and vendors | A timed half-mile walk through garden lights and music |
| Good match for | Families with young children who want several activities | Groups who want a more focused garden-light walk |
| Planning pressure | Choose an open date and allow time for the drive | Reserve a timed slot before it sells out |
Our Enchanted Airlie guide covers its 2026 sale dates, arrival windows, and ticket rules. For a family of four, the two posted base prices are both $35, though Airlie’s online tax and fees are extra. A couple pays $20 at Merry & Bright versus a $35 Airlie carload ticket before those additions.
Merry & Bright will be a poor fit if your group wants a quick stop near downtown, a display you can see from the car, or a quiet garden walk without carnival-style activities. Airlie will be harder to arrange if your dates are flexible only at the last minute. Choose based on the kind of evening you want as much as the price.
Remember where the event takes place
Poplar Grove’s account of the site describes a historic house and museum on a former peanut and sweet potato plantation whose circa-1850 manor house was built and maintained by enslaved people, including skilled artisans from the Foy family and neighboring families. The museum is part of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and maintains the permanent exhibit From Civil War to Civil Rights: The African American Experience at Poplar Grove.
More affordable outings around Wilmington
If your holiday plans need another low-cost option, our guide to free and cheap things to do in Wilmington includes parks, museums, and year-round ideas. The Brunswick County fair guide covers another family event that requires a drive beyond Wilmington, while our month-by-month beach guide explains what to expect from the coast in late fall and winter.
Choose your night before you promise Santa
Start with the calendar, especially when your children are going to see Santa. Pick one of the four open blocks, plan the drive north, and arrive early enough that the 8:30 p.m. line cutoff won’t control the whole evening. Once you are inside, let the games, campfires, and lights fill the time between arrival and the trip home.
