In 2026, Sherman Library & Gardens is bringing its after-hours holiday lights back to Corona del Mar under a new name, Merry & Bright Nights. It runs on a different schedule and costs more than the evening many families remember. The event spans 14 nights between Dec. 3 and Dec. 22 at 2647 East Coast Highway. Each night has two entry times, and nonmember tickets are $65. Members could buy starting Oct. 5, and public sales opened Oct. 19. The organizer's page already shows the first night, Dec. 3, as sold out.
Picking a night and deciding whether to buy a membership now take more thought than they did two years ago.
Three Holidays, Three Different Events at Sherman
Sherman's holiday event has changed shape from one year to the next. In 2023 and 2024 the garden ran a nighttime lights event. Sherman's official 2025 holiday page listed something else entirely, a daytime event. For 2026 the garden has gone back to evenings, rebuilt around food and music.
| 2024: Nights of 1000 Lights | 2025: A Very Sherman Holiday | 2026: Merry & Bright Nights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | After-hours lights, 10th-anniversary "Christmases past" theme | Daytime holiday market and activities | After-hours lights, music, food and dance party |
| Dates | 12 nights, including three member-only nights | Dec. 6–7, with Dec. 6 for members only | 14 nights, Dec. 3–6, 10–13, 17–22 |
| Hours | 5–8 p.m. | 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. | 5–9 p.m. |
| Entry times | 5, 6 and 7 p.m. | Daytime admission | 5 or 7 p.m. |
| Member ticket | $30 | $20 adult, $10 child | $45 |
| Nonmember ticket | $50 | $25 adult, $15 child | $65 |
The 2024 event was a greatest-hits year. Sherman's page for it described the light tunnel, the Moon Goddess, a 3D display in the conservatory, a Scandinavian Christmas in the sun garden, a Crystal Disco Christmas in the tea garden, Santa in his adobe and s'mores at the fire pit. The year before, the 2023 Night of 1000 Lights had a Candy Land theme, with an illuminated tunnel, carnival games, a fire pit and s'mores.
The organizer calls the 2026 version "all new." Stu News Newport describes it as "a totally reimagined event." A few favorites are back: Santa, the Wishing Tree and the Sherman Express model train. The new parts are hands-on holiday crafts, a dance floor stage for holiday music, Mexican food and a no-host beer and wine bar.
The Evening Is Longer, but There Are Fewer Ways In
The schedule changed more than the decorations did. In 2024 the event ran 5 to 8 p.m. and let guests in at 5, 6 or 7 p.m. This year the gates stay open until 9 p.m., but there are only two entry times, 5 and 7 p.m.
Sherman suggests planning for about an hour to an hour and a half, and arriving close to your entry time. So the two slots work like two separate evenings:
- The 5 p.m. entry fits families with young children who need to be home by bedtime. A 90-minute visit has you leaving around 6:30.
- The 7 p.m. entry fits a later dinner-and-dancing night. The dance party, taco cart and beer and wine bar give it a reason to last until closing at 9.
Without a 6 p.m. slot, there's no middle option for a family that wants to eat dinner first but can't stay out late. That gap matters most on school nights, because the event runs on weeknights in all three weeks.
The Ticket Math Changed More Than the Lights
Ticket prices went up $15 for members and $15 for nonmembers since 2024, so the member discount is still $20 per ticket. The bigger change is in the membership bundles.
Here's how the Family Package compares, using Sherman's published figures for both years:
- 2024: Four nonmember tickets cost $200. The Family Package, with four tickets and a year of Family Membership, cost $220. A year of membership added $20.
- 2026: Four nonmember tickets cost $260. The Family Package now costs $335. A year of membership adds $75.
The organizer lists the 2026 package as a $100 savings. That's measured against buying four nonmember tickets and a standard $175 Family Membership separately. Two adults can pick the Adult Dual Package at $230 for two tickets and a year of Adult Dual Membership, or the Senior Dual Package at $205. Two nonmember tickets alone come to $130.
A few rules change the math. A regular Sherman membership doesn't include special ticketed events, so members still buy Merry & Bright Nights tickets at the $45 member price. Members of reciprocal gardens elsewhere don't get the discount. Only Sherman members do. Children 3 and under get in free. Everyone from age 4 up pays the full ticket price, and there's no group rate.
In 2024, the membership question was nearly settled by the package price. This year a household is weighing $75 against the rest of what a year at Sherman is worth to them. The current published rates run from $25 for a Youth membership, for people under 25, to $175 for Family. Membership also mattered for access. Members could buy tickets two weeks before the public, and the organizer's page warns buyers to purchase early "to avoid sell-out disappointments."
Choosing a Night Now Matters More
You can't change your ticket later, so choose the date carefully. Sherman says there's no rescheduling, and tickets and memberships aren't refundable. A ticket you can't use counts as a donation to the nonprofit garden. The event happens rain or shine.
Here's how the 14 nights fall on the calendar, according to the organizer's date cards:
| Week | Nights | Days |
|---|---|---|
| First | Dec. 3–6 | Thursday through Sunday |
| Second | Dec. 10–13 | Thursday through Sunday |
| Third | Dec. 17–22 | Thursday through Tuesday |
Before you buy, check the date against the organizer's page. Some local coverage left out Dec. 3 and labeled Dec. 4 as a Thursday. Thursday is Dec. 3, and Dec. 4 is a Friday. The organizer's page marks Dec. 3 sold out and shows purchase links for every other date. That can change quickly, so the Merry & Bright Nights page is the place to check availability.
The final week has the most nights, including Monday, Dec. 21 and Tuesday, Dec. 22, both in the week of Christmas Eve. It's the only week with nights after Sunday, which gives families who are traveling for the holidays two more evenings to work with.
The Night Itself
Most of the logistics are simple, but a few catch people off guard.
- Parking is free and first come, first served. Sherman has two lots off Dahlia Avenue, one at the corner of Dahlia and East Coast Highway and one behind the building. There's also street parking.
- Bring cash. The taco cart sells tacos, quesadillas, water and hot chocolate, and it takes cash only. The beer and wine bar is no-host, and outside food isn't allowed.
- Dress for the weather. The event is outdoors, and the organizer suggests dressing warmly and bringing an umbrella.
- Strollers and wheelchairs are fine. The event is accessible for strollers, wheelchairs and mobility devices.
- Daytime visits are separate. Your evening ticket doesn't cover a regular visit to the gardens, which are open 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with their own admission.
Tickets are sold online and at the Sherman Library & Gardens box office.
The Stephanie Young Group loves the December traditions that make Corona del Mar feel like home, and Sherman's nights are one of our favorites. If you're making a holiday list of local spots for visiting family, or want to compare notes on which Newport Beach evenings are worth booking ahead, we'd be glad to help. Let's Connect.