The Three November Nights Lights on the Bay Belongs to People on Foot

Most of us know Lights on the Bay from behind a windshield, rolling slowly along the shoreline at Sandy Point State Park with the heat on. For three evenings before the drive-through season opens, the SPCA of Anne Arundel County runs it differently. You park, clip on a leash, and walk the same displays with your dog.

That event is called Lights & Leashes, and in 2026 it runs Friday, November 20, through Sunday, November 22. The cars arrive the next night, Monday, November 23, and keep coming through January 3, 2027. If your household includes a dog that loves a crowd, those three evenings are worth putting on the calendar now, because the route isn't open to walkers at any other point in the season.

One Route, Two Speeds

On paper the two formats look nearly the same. The Lights & Leashes page describes the walking route as the same two miles along the Chesapeake Bay that drivers follow. The SPCA's 2026 announcement prices both at $25 per car. The differences are in timing and ticketing, and they matter more on foot than they do in a car.

Because admission is charged per car, a household that drives over with four people and a dog pays the same $25 as a couple who stays in their seats in December. That's the same price for a much slower look.

The hours need a closer read. The dedicated Lights & Leashes page lists 5 to 8:30 p.m. and asks that everyone exit by 9. The SPCA's announcement gives 5 to 9 p.m. with the same 9 p.m. exit. Both agree on the hard stop. If you're walking two miles with a dog who wants to greet every other dog, plan as if the gate closes at 8:30.

A Tradition Older Than Its Walking Nights

The organizers trace Lights on the Bay to 1994 and describe more than 70 animated and stationary displays on the drive. For much of that history, proceeds went elsewhere. The Capital Gazette reported in 2017 that the SPCA was taking over the show from the Anne Arundel Medical Center foundation. Ticket proceeds now support the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.

The walking nights started before the SPCA took over. Eye on Annapolis covered the third annual Lights & Leashes in 2015, which puts the dog walk among the show's longer-running habits. With the SPCA as beneficiary, a dog walk benefiting an animal shelter is a natural fit, and it explains why the walking weekend comes before the main run instead of being tucked into some quiet weeknight in December.

What Changes When You Leave the Car

A car turns the route into one continuous scroll. On foot, the displays become places you can stop at. The official About page describes a two-mile drive with about 70 displays and singles out Santa's North Pole train station. At walking pace you can stand in front of it as long as your dog allows.

Lights & Leashes also adds things the drive-through doesn't have:

• Pet photos with Santa. The event page bills these as photos of your pet, and you, with Santa at the end of the evening.
• Pet-friendly vendors. Organizers list gourmet dog treats and accessories, plus hot drinks and sweet treats for the people holding the leashes.
• A paved, accessible path. The page says the route is fully handicap accessible with a paved pathway.
• No traffic on the route. For those three nights, organizers say, the lights are reserved for walkers and their pets, without the cars.

The last point is the main difference. The drive-through brings a steady line of headlights to the park every night of the season. During Lights & Leashes, the only things on the pavement are people, dogs and the light displays.

Planning Your Friday, Saturday or Sunday

The gate-only ticketing makes this a different outing from the December drive. Here's how to plan for it:

1. Bring cash or a card to the gate. Lights & Leashes tickets go on sale each evening at the gate, with no advance option listed on the event page.
2. Count from 8:30, not 9. The event page lists 8:30 p.m. as the end time and asks everyone to be out of the park by 9. On a two-mile walk, an early arrival gives you time for the Santa photo line and the vendors.
3. Use Route 50 to Exit 32. The official directions send visitors to Sandy Point by way of Exit 32.
4. Pack the leash. The official site asks guests to keep dogs leashed.
5. Check the event page before you leave. Questions about weather, guests without dogs, or pets other than dogs are best answered on the Lights & Leashes page or by the SPCA directly.

If you'd rather see the lights a second time from the car, the drive-through works differently. Tickets are sold online or at the gate. Online purchases through Eventbrite carry a $3.52 processing fee, and paying at the gate by cash or card avoids it. The Eventbrite listing also sells 3-D glasses for $5. The drive-through runs every night of the season, holidays included, so Thanksgiving week is open too.

When the Dog Stays Home

Lights & Leashes is the county's dog-friendly way to see holiday lights on foot. Its closest counterpart has the opposite rule. Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm, at 8109 Telegraph Road in Severn, runs a North Pole Lights Walk. It's a self-guided trail of roughly half a mile through garden flowers and "arctic animals" to a North Pole Palace, with Santa in the Garden Cabin and a photo spot in Santa's sleigh. The farm allows only service dogs on the walk.

The farm's event page lists select dates from November 27 to December 30. Its ticketing page shows a slightly narrower window, 4:30 to 8 p.m. hours, and tickets at $12 for adults and $8 for children. Check the specific night before you go.

Willow Oak's garden walk opens Thanksgiving week, four days after the Sandy Point drive-through begins on November 23.

I keep a close eye on the county's holiday calendar, from the SPCA's walking weekend at Sandy Point to the garden paths in Severn. If your family is planning its Anne Arundel weekends this season, or thinking about what comes next for your home, Jeannine Wayson would be glad to talk it through. Let's Connect: Schedule a Free Consultation.