"So everyone likes to drive on the boardwalk. I think that's really cool, but it's taking its toll, and will continue to take its toll over time, and increase costs to maintain it," City Council member Worth Remick told 13News Now early this year.
That toll ended a 31-year habit. Holiday Lights at the Beach, the show you watched from your car seat, will not return to the Oceanfront this December. Its replacement is the BayPort Credit Union Holiday Trail of Lights, presented by Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law. It's a walk-through show on the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center's nature trail, running Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027.
Moving the show also changed how the night works. The old show was a drive you could take whenever the line looked short. The new one runs on a timed reservation you book ahead.
The Boardwalk Was Never Just a Road for Lights
The Virginian-Pilot reported that about 21,000 vehicles went through the show last season. The city says that traffic strained the Boardwalk and shortened its lifespan, and the Boardwalk sits on top of the seawall that protects Oceanfront property from storm damage.
Remick also told 13News Now that the Boardwalk works as a stormwater project, with piping directly beneath the concrete. He pointed to more than the December traffic. Vehicles setting up events from April through October, the peak tourist season, add to the wear all year.
The money didn't make a strong case for keeping it either. The Pilot reported in January that the old show roughly broke even, with about $1 million in ticket revenue covering production, maintenance and teardown. The decision unfolded over 2026:
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2026 | City officials asked Beach Events to develop a format with no vehicles on the Boardwalk. City Council kept the final decision. |
| Mar. 24, 2026 | The proposed FY2026–27 budget moved the show to the Aquarium as a walk-through, with setup reported at over $1 million and $210,000 in ongoing annual cost. |
| Sept. 17, 2026 | Beach Events and the city announced the Holiday Trail of Lights on the Aquarium Nature Trail. |
Your Night Now Starts With a Time Slot
Without cars, nothing stretches the evening out. You couldn't plan around a line of headlights on Atlantic Avenue, so the old show was easy to fit in on a whim. The new show sells entry by date and time, with limited tickets for each slot. Beach Events says tickets are sold online in advance, and door sales aren't guaranteed.
There are three entry windows each night, and each type of night is priced differently. All prices below are plus fees.
| Ticket | Value Night | Premium Night |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 6–7:30 or 7:30–9 p.m. | $19 | $22 |
| Child, ages 3–12 | $12 | $15 |
| Twilight Hour adult, 5–6 p.m. | $25 | $28 |
| Twilight Hour child | $18 | $21 |
| Group adult, 25+ | $15 | $18 |
| Group child, 25+ | $8 | $11 |
The 5 p.m. Twilight Hour costs $6 more per ticket than a regular slot on the same night. That buys early entry, trails Beach Events describes as less crowded, and a commemorative ornament.
Three other rules shape how you book:
- Military Mondays. Monday tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children, plus fees, for active-duty service members and retired veterans.
- Aquarium members buy through a link the Aquarium sends them directly.
- Walk-ups cost more, if any tickets are left. Door sales aren't guaranteed. When they're available, they carry an extra $10 per ticket. Early coverage reported a smaller walk-up fee, but the operator's page now lists $10.
All sales are final. If weather cancels your night, you can bring your unscanned ticket to the box office and use it for any night of equal or lesser value. Buying a Premium-night ticket gives you the most flexibility if you get rained out. The posted pricing doesn't say which dates are Value and which are Premium, so check the Beach Events listing for your night before you buy.
What the Walk Gives You That the Drive Couldn't
The ticket price buys a show built for people on foot. The Virginian-Pilot reported that the trail winds through the woods and salt marsh along Owl Creek, with every light choreographed to music. Mini-speakers line the whole trail, and each zone's music fades as you walk toward the next one.
"This is going to be something that you walk into and you see it, and you hear it, and in some zones, you're actually going to feel it," Beach Events director William Younce told the Resort Advisory Commission, as the Pilot reported.
The show was designed by James Bain of Mega Light Show and Ken MacMaster of Wired Watts. Their past work includes displays at the Brooklyn and Cincinnati zoos and the "Light of Christmas" show at the Chicago White Sox stadium. Beach Events lists seven themed zones:
- Dickens Drive. Victorian-style décor, lanterns and carolers.
- Glowing Grove & Snowflake Symphony. Lit pillars leading to a stage of 20-foot trees and dancing arches. Santa is here every night.
- Light Fall Forest. Hundreds of light strands hung as high as 35 feet overhead.
- Santa's Stroll. Interactive video floors and walls, plus a 40-foot decorated tower for photos.
- Flurry Lane. Icicle lights and falling "snow."
- Glimmer Games & Toy Soldier Tower. Light caves to play in, and a tower with a bird's-eye view of the show.
- Enchanted Forest. Laser stars, with fog-filled bubbles drifting through the beams near the end.
Santa photos are bought on-site at Glowing Grove and can't be added to your ticket in advance.
Sources disagree on the distance. Beach Events lists the trail at 1.1 miles round-trip. The Pilot described the nature trail as about a third of a mile long. Either way, both sources agree on the setup. You can enter from the North Building or the South Building, and Younce said the whole trail is designed to be walked from either direction.
Parking, Strollers and the Things to Leave in the Car
The car still gets you there. Parking is free in the Aquarium's main lot and south building lot. None of the coverage or event material mentions a shuttle.
According to the operator's FAQ, the trail is flat and ADA accessible. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are welcome, and the Aquarium has a limited number of wheelchairs to rent. Strollers and bags are allowed, and bags may be searched.
The no-go list includes a few things families used to bring on Boardwalk drives:
- Pets
- Outside food and drinks, including outside alcohol
- Chairs and glass containers
- Bikes, e-bikes, skateboards and scooters
- Professional camera or video gear
You can buy food in both buildings and along the trail. Guests 21 and older can buy a limited selection of alcoholic drinks.
The Oceanfront Keeps a Car-Free Piece of the Show
Younce told the Pilot that some of the original light displays will go up along the Boardwalk between 24th and 31st streets for people to enjoy on foot, with no cars allowed. That stretch is the closest thing left to the old show. The reporting doesn't say whether it will require admission.
The Holiday Parade at the Beach also stays on Atlantic Avenue. It's free and steps off Saturday, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m. from 15th Street, heading north to 25th Street. Beach Events lists 90 parade units and an appearance by Santa. Groups that want to march have until Monday, Nov. 2, to apply.
That makes three December outings. The Aquarium trail is ticketed and timed, the Boardwalk displays between 24th and 31st are car-free, and the parade on Atlantic Avenue is free.
Holiday guests usually show up wanting to see the lights. When family or friends book their visit, check the weekday so you can match a Value night, a Military Monday or the Twilight Hour to the people who are coming. Slot planning is the kind of detail The Castle Team handles all year for clients relocating to Hampton Roads, including military households new to Virginia Beach. If a December move is putting you on a tight timeline, schedule a free consultation and we'll build the plan around the dates that matter to you.
