When does a lantern festival actually start? On paper, Dragon Lights Reno opens at 6 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, and at 5 p.m. from Monday, Nov. 2, through the final night on Nov. 29. In practice it starts when the sky goes dark enough for the panda forest and the six-meter Tyrannosaurus rex to glow. That moment shifts an hour this weekend for a different reason.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The festival's earlier November schedule moves the start time to match the earlier sunset. The lights still come on at about the same point in the evening. The end of the night moves up, and that changes how you plan.
The Clock Change and the Gate Times
Here is how sunset and gate times line up across the season, using Reno sun data from timeanddate and the festival's posted hours.
| Date | Reno sunset | Gates open | Last entry | Festival closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 19 | 6:14 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 5:58 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | 4:57 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| Mon., Nov. 2 | 4:56 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. |
In mid-October, the gates opened before the sun went down. By Halloween, sunset and opening time land within two minutes of each other. On Nov. 2, the 5 p.m. opening comes four minutes after sunset. The earlier schedule keeps the festival opening at dusk.
Sunday, Nov. 1, is the odd night. The clocks have already fallen back, but the festival is still on its October hours, so the gates open more than an hour after sunset. If you want a fully dark first loop with no wait for dusk, that Sunday has the most darkness of the season before the gates open.
Your Entry Time Sets the Night
Most of the planning comes down to the entry window. Each ticket is good for a specific date and entry time. You have 60 minutes to enter and can stay until closing. The route is less than a mile, and the festival puts the average visit at about 1.5 hours.
Work back from closing time to find the latest entry that still gives you an average-length visit:
- Through Nov. 1: The festival closes at 10 p.m., so entering by 8:30 p.m. leaves the full 1.5 hours. A 9 p.m. last entry leaves one hour.
- From Nov. 2: The festival closes at 9 p.m., so the same visit means entering by 7:30 p.m. An 8 p.m. last entry leaves one hour.
The box office follows the same schedule. It is open 6 to 9 p.m. through Nov. 1 and 5 to 8 p.m. from Nov. 2. The festival notes that walk-up tickets are limited and the box office may close early if the night reaches capacity. If you plan to arrive late and buy at the gate, you can end up with a shorter visit or no tickets at all.
Four nights remain on the later schedule after this post goes up: Thursday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Halloween falls on that Saturday. After that weekend, the festival is no longer open past 9 p.m.
What Each Ticket Type Costs
The official ticket page lists these prices, all of which include tax and fees:
- Online, Sunday through Thursday: $23.75 for ages 12 and up, $17.75 for ages 3 to 11, $85 for a four-pack, and $19.75 per person for groups of 10 or more.
- Online, Friday and Saturday: $27 for ages 12 and up, $19.75 for ages 3 to 11, $93 for a four-pack, and $21.75 per person for groups.
- Walk-up at the gate, any night: $35 for ages 12 and up and $22 for ages 3 to 11.
- Season pass, online only: $68.25, good for any night of the run.
- Children under 3: free.
Some comparisons help. An adult who buys at the gate pays $11.25 more than an adult who books a weeknight online. A weekday four-pack costs $10 less than four separate online weekday adult tickets. The season pass costs less than three Friday or Saturday adult tickets combined. That math works if you expect to come back with guests, or if you'd like to see the festival once before the clock change and once after.
Seniors have one more option. Nevada Business Magazine reported a $20 senior ticket every Wednesday, sold only at the box office with no advance reservation needed. Since that ticket is sold only at the gate, the box office hours and capacity limits above apply to it. On Wednesdays after Nov. 2, aim to arrive closer to 5 p.m. than to 8 p.m.
All sales are final. If bad weather or other circumstances cancel a night, tickets move to the next available date, and holders have 24 hours to transfer to a different date.
Where to Park
The festival entrance is next to the Wilbur D. May Center, at 1595 N. Sierra St. Parking is free in three lots:
- Lot A at the May Center is for ADA parking only.
- Lot B at the arboretum is the closest general lot.
- Lot C at the west end of the park is about a half-mile walk from the entrance.
The festival's FAQ lists a free shuttle from the west-end lot every 15 minutes on Friday and Saturday, starting at 5:45 p.m., with the last shuttle leaving the entrance at 10:15 p.m. Those times match the October hours. The parking page also shows a second, different shuttle schedule. Check the parking page before a November weekend visit, when the festival closes an hour earlier.
Strollers, wheelchairs and children's wagons are allowed. Wheelchairs are not available to rent on site. About 1,000 feet of the route around the food court and playground is dirt, and the festival recommends wheelchairs with thicker tires. Only licensed, trained service animals are allowed.
What's on the Route This Year
The 2026 theme is "Many Worlds Aglow," with three zones, as described in Visit Reno Tahoe's event listing:
- Asian Safari: a panda bamboo forest corridor, lantern and feather corridors, and galloping horses five meters tall.
- African Desert: a 40-meter Floral Scroll Corridor, a 50-meter African corridor, a 28-meter desert centerpiece, a radiated tortoise, a color-shifting chameleon, and butterfly and dragonfly wings visitors can stand between for photos.
- Dinosaur World: a six-meter Tyrannosaurus rex with Triceratops, Parasaurolophus, Oviraptor and Dilophosaurus scenes, plus a 25-meter butterfly corridor.
That is a full change from last year. KOLO reported that the 2025 edition, "Odyssey of Waves and Woods," had four zones and a 100-foot sea tunnel. This year the festival also offers a free audio guide through QR codes along the route. Food and drink vendors on site take cash and cards, and the menu now includes hot drinks. That matters more after Nov. 2, when visits shift into the colder early evening.
The Same Garden by Day, and Dinner Nearby
The festival grounds are the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden. According to Washoe County, the arboretum is free and open year-round during regular park hours, while special events like Dragon Lights may charge admission. The festival's 2026 sponsorship materials say Tianyu Arts & Culture produces the event with Washoe County and the arboretum, and that part of the revenue goes toward keeping daytime access free. Your evening ticket helps pay for the daytime garden.
The Wilbur D. May Museum next door is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission runs $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors through December. On a November weekend, you can see the museum in the afternoon and walk to the lantern entrance as the 5 p.m. gates open. Washoe County lists 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as general winter park hours after the time change, but says Rancho San Rafael has extended winter hours. Check the posted park hours before planning a long afternoon.
The earlier schedule also changes where you can eat. With the November closing time of 9 p.m., more nearby places are still open when you leave:
- Seoulful Bites, 1651 N. Virginia St., is a self-serve Korean ramen bar near UNR. KOLO reported it opened in June 2026. It lists walk-in hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, so it works best before the show.
- Good Days Cafe, 941 N. Virginia St., serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day, plus coffee and matcha.
- Rolled Mountain Creamery, 727 Riverside Dr., Suite E, appears in edible Reno-Tahoe's Fall 2026 guide. It is open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. After a 9 p.m. November closing, that leaves time for dessert. After a 10 p.m. October closing, it doesn't.
- Hub Coffee Roasters at 2020 RED Dr., Suite 101, in the Reno Experience District, is a coffee stop on the west side of town before you head to the park.
Restaurant and museum hours can change, so check the official pages before you go. The festival runs through Sunday, Nov. 29, and from Nov. 2 the last entry each night is 8 p.m.
At The Agency Reno, we follow the Reno calendar closely. If you're weighing how close you'd like to live to Rancho San Rafael and the University District, our team would be glad to talk it through. Contact Us.
