What changes at Merriweather Post Pavilion between Sunday, December 6, and Monday, December 7? On the 6th, the Symphony of Lights route works the way most Howard County families know it. You pay $25 per vehicle and roll through with the radio on. On the 7th, no cars are allowed. The same route opens on foot for Tail Lights, a $15 walk-through for people bringing leashed dogs, and festive costumes are encouraged.
That swap shows how Downtown Columbia's holidays run this year. The season doesn't start all at once. It opens one venue at a time over about three weeks, beginning at the Lakefront, moving to Color Burst Park, and ending in Symphony Woods. Once the lights are up, the night you pick matters as much as where you go.
The Lakefront Goes First, on Saturday
Howard County's drone show celebrating America's 250th anniversary was planned for Independence Day weekend, and WMAR-2 News reported that flight restrictions forced the county to move it. The new date is Saturday, November 7, at Columbia Lakefront. Sky Elements, a finalist on America's Got Talent, will fly a 15-minute show with 800 drones. Admission is free.
WMAR's schedule for the evening:
- 4:30 p.m. Food trucks open
- 5:00 p.m. A video celebrating the opening of the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument at Vivian C. "Millie" Bailey Park
- 5:30 p.m. Live music from Liquid A
- 7:00 p.m. Welcome from County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball III, then the drones
The monument in that 5 p.m. video is already open. The Howard County Veterans Foundation says it was dedicated on May 14, 2026, and is open to the public around the clock. The Baltimore Banner described it as a three-star sculpture surrounded by a reflecting pond with a bench. The stars stand for community support, service members and families, and those lost in service. Millie Bailey Park is at 10275 Wincopin Circle, a short walk from the Lakefront, so you can stop there before the music starts.
Two Weeks Later, Color Burst Park Turns On
The second stage is across Little Patuxent Parkway in Merriweather District. The free Tree Lighting and Ice Rink Opening runs Friday, November 20, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Color Burst Park, 6221 Mango Tree Road. The Columbia Figure Skating Club and the Columbia Center of Theatrical Arts will perform, kids can write letters to Santa, and the tree lights at 7 p.m. Merriweather District asks guests to RSVP. The first 100 to check in at the Guest Services tent get an ornament customized with their family name. Rink tickets are sold separately, even on opening night.
After opening night, the rink becomes a weekly option. Visit Howard County lists the season as November 20 through January 31, 2027, with advance tickets at $12 per person plus tax and skate rental at $3. Here are the hours posted on the Color Burst Ice Rink page:
| Day | Rink hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Noon to 10:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | Noon to 8:00 p.m. |
Parking is at the Symphony Woods Garage, 6275 Mango Tree Road. Color Burst Park opened in spring 2021. In summer it has a splash pad, and in winter it becomes a pop-up rink. The Charmery, Eggspectation, Toastique and YogaSix are all nearby, so a skate can easily end with something warm to eat.
The Lights Arrive Last, and the Calendar Decides How You See Them
The Merriweather Symphony of Lights drive-through season runs November 27, 2026, through January 2, 2027, at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 5 to 10 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $25 per vehicle, and the event takes cash and credit cards. On Thursdays, military nights take $10 off with a valid military ID, at the entrance only. Most nights the drive-through line starts at Broken Land Parkway and Hickory Ridge Road, and the organizers ask drivers to follow Howard County police directions when the line backs up.
Seven dates on the schedule are listed as closed to cars: November 29 and 30, and December 1, 7, 10, 14 and 31. These walk-through events fall on closed nights:
| Date | Walk-through event | Time | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Nov. 29 | Festive Families | 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free; strollers, wagons and backpacks welcome |
| Monday, Dec. 7 | Tail Lights | 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free; leashed dogs only |
| Thursday, Dec. 10 | Lit at the Lights | 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. | $45 with beer and cocktail samples, or $15 walk-through only |
| Monday, Dec. 14 | Jingle & Jam, a toddler dance party featuring DJ Kopec | 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free |
A car of four pays $25 on a drive-through night. On a walk-through night, four adults pay $60, and the price goes up by $15 for each adult who comes along. A household with a toddler and a dog may find its night already picked: Jingle & Jam for the toddler and Tail Lights for the dog. Lit at the Lights falls on a Thursday, which is military discount night for drivers in most weeks, and the route is closed to cars that night.
Weather won't change these plans. The Symphony of Lights FAQ says every event goes ahead in rain, shine or snow. Howard County General Hospital no longer runs the event, but ticket sales still benefit the hospital and the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission.
The First Weekend of December Stacks Three Towns' Worth of Plans
By early December all three Downtown Columbia venues are open, and the calendar fills up. The Merriweather District Holiday Market comes back to Color Burst Park on Friday, December 4, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, December 6, from noon to 4 p.m. It will have seasonal drinks from Merriweather District restaurants, fire pits, story times and caroling. The 2026 vendor list is mostly local. It includes Black Acres Roastery, Beye Beignets, Adjourn Teahouse, Blended Bakery, Mouth Party Caramel, Pecandy, Mrs. Macarons, Rosie Cheeks Distillery, Fair Winds Candle Company, Chessie Maker, Pinwheel Clay, Wood Gone Wild and Walkingpawsboutique.
The market's Friday night falls on the same evening as Old Ellicott City's Midnight Madness. The Ellicott City Partnership calendar lists it for December 4 at 6 p.m., six days after Small Business Saturday on Main Street, which starts November 28 at 1 p.m. That gives Howard County two shopping nights at once, about 15 minutes apart. You can do both if you start at Color Burst Park at 5:30 and get to Main Street afterward.
Other holiday stops are open for longer runs around those dates. Visit Howard County's holiday guide lists the holiday train garden at the B&O Ellicott City Station Museum from November 27, 2026, through January 3, 2027, during regular museum hours. It also lists a Handmade Holiday & Gift Market at Turf Valley Resort on December 6 and 13, and a Holiday Farm Crafter's Market at Penn Oaks Winery on November 21 and December 12. On Sunday, December 6, the Turf Valley market and the last day of the Merriweather market overlap.
Two Things to Watch Off the Main Route
One of the season's local dining stories is at The Mall in Columbia. Patch reported on October 27 that Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, a Shanghainese soup-dumpling restaurant, is coming to Unit 3035 in the former Chicken + Whiskey space, with an opening expected later this year. The mall is near both Merriweather and the Lakefront, so it could be a dinner stop on a lights night.
The other is on Snowden River Parkway. Patch reported in mid-October that the original 10-year lease for Black Flag Brewing Company at 9315 Snowden River Parkway ends November 30. The brewery has a contract to sell the business to another local brewery, which would run both brewing brands from the Columbia location and keep Black Flag's staff.
The lights open to cars on Friday, November 27. The first walk-through night is two days later, on Sunday, November 29, and the drive-through stays closed through Tuesday, December 1.
Planning the season around family, or hosting guests who will want to see the lights? The team at Charisse Callender Scott follows Howard County and the rest of the DMV year-round. Contact Us any time you want a local's take on the county, whether you're settled in or thinking about your next move.
