On the evening of Nov. 2, the sun sets over Reno at 4:56 p.m. Four minutes later, the gates open at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. A five-meter herd of galloping horses lights up in the Asian Safari zone while there is still a little blue left in the sky above Peavine.
The night before is different. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. Sunset that evening comes at 4:57 p.m., but the festival keeps its October hours of 6 to 10 p.m. Opening is more than an hour after sundown, and civil twilight ends at 5:25.
Starting Nov. 2, the official Dragon Lights Reno schedule runs 5 to 9 p.m. every night through the Nov. 29 close. The festival moves its hours back by the same hour the clocks lose, so opening still lands at dusk, and the whole evening ends an hour earlier. The festival's last four weeks are effectively a weeknight show: you can be home by 9:30 and still see every zone.
Opening Time Against Sunset
KOLO 8 reported the same two-part schedule back in June, and the official FAQ still lists it. A September Fox Reno item put the 5 p.m. opening on Nov. 1. The organizer's own page puts it on Nov. 2, so plan around that date.
Here is how opening time compares with the light outside, using timeanddate's November 2026 table for Reno:
| Date | Gates open | Sunset | Civil twilight ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 1 | 6:00 p.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 5:25 p.m. |
| Mon., Nov. 2 | 5:00 p.m. | 4:56 p.m. | 5:24 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | 5:00 p.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 5:13 p.m. |
| Tue., Nov. 17 | 5:00 p.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 5:11 p.m. |
Sunset moves only about 14 minutes earlier between Nov. 2 and Nov. 17, so the 5 p.m. opening keeps lining up with the end of the day. In early November, the first 20 minutes or so after the gates open fall in twilight. The lanterns show against a darkening sky instead of full black, and photos of the larger pieces still show some of the park's ridgeline behind them. By mid-month, dark comes on sooner after opening.
Working Backward From 9 p.m.
An earlier close shortens the time you have to get through, and the festival's own numbers set that time. Tickets are sold for a specific date and entry time. Holders have 60 minutes to enter and can stay until closing. The route is under a mile, mostly even, and takes about an hour and a half on average.
Put those together and a November evening looks like this:
- 5:00 p.m. Gates and the box office open. The earliest entry slot gets the twilight described above.
- 7:30 p.m. This is the latest entry that still allows the average 90-minute walk before closing.
- 8:00 p.m. The box office closes. It can close earlier if the night reaches capacity.
- 9:00 p.m. The festival closes, one hour earlier than in October.
In October, the latest comfortable entry was 8:30 p.m. In November it's 7:30. That still leaves plenty of time for dinner. It means a late-evening Dragon Lights visit isn't possible anymore.
What the Hour Covers This Year
The extra time goes to three zones under the 2026 theme, "Many Worlds Aglow." Last year's show was themed "Odyssey of Waves & Woods," so returning visitors are walking a new show.
Asian Safari
A glowing panda bamboo forest corridor, lantern and feather corridors, and the five-meter galloping horses, which Visit Reno Tahoe describes as a tribute to Chinese lantern artistry.
African Desert
A Welcome Gate, a 40-meter Floral Scroll Corridor, a 50-meter African corridor and a 28-meter desert centerpiece. Along the way are a radiated tortoise, a color-shifting chameleon and a butterfly-and-dragonfly wing display built so you can stand between the wings for a photo.
Dinosaur World
A six-meter Tyrannosaurus rex leads the zone, with Triceratops, Parasaurolophus, Oviraptor and Dilophosaurus scenes, plus a 25-meter butterfly corridor.
One food-court change fits November well. Vendors have added hot drinks to their menus this year. The FAQ says they serve Asian and Western food and take both cash and cards.
The Ticket Math Over Four Weeks
Prices are the same all season and include tax and fees. Which night you choose, and whether you buy ahead, makes a bigger difference than the November schedule does.
| Ticket | Weekday online | Fri–Sat online | Walk-up, any night |
|---|---|---|---|
| General admission, ages 12+ | $23.75 | $27 | $35 |
| Child, ages 3–11 | $17.75 | $19.75 | $22 |
| Four-pack, any four people | $85 | $93 | Not offered |
| Infant, under 3 | Free | Free | Free |
An adult walking up pays $11.25 more than an adult who bought a weekday ticket online. For four adults, walk-up admission costs $140, compared with $85 for a weekday four-pack. The ticket page recommends buying ahead because only a limited number of tickets are held for the box office each night.
The $68.25 season pass covers any night and is sold online only. At the weekday adult price, it pays for itself on the third visit, since three weekday tickets cost $71.25. If you live near Rancho San Rafael, that's a realistic way to see the show at dusk in early November and again in full dark later in the month.
Getting In and Out of Rancho San Rafael
The entrance is next to the Wilbur D. May Center at 1595 N. Sierra St. Parking is free and first-come, first-served. The lot by the May Center is ADA-only, the arboretum lot has limited space, and the west end of the park has the most room.
Some details to know before you go:
- Shuttle: A free shuttle runs Fridays and Saturdays from the west-end lot every 15 minutes. The FAQ lists the first bus at 5:45 p.m. and the last one leaving the festival entrance at 10:15 p.m. Those times match October's hours, so check them before a November weekend visit.
- Surfaces: About 1,000 feet of the food court and interactive playground area is dirt trail. The organizer recommends wheelchairs with thicker tires.
- Strollers and wagons: Wheelchairs, kids' wagons and strollers are allowed. No wheelchairs are available to rent on site.
- Dogs: Only licensed, trained service animals are allowed.
- Weather: If a night is canceled, tickets move to the next available date, and holders have 24 hours to transfer to a date they prefer. All sales are final.
The posted schedule runs Monday through Sunday and lists no holiday closures. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, three nights before the festival ends. If you have guests in town for the long weekend, confirm that night directly with the organizer before you buy.
Veterans Day: A Parade and an Evening Ticket
Veterans Day falls on a Wednesday this year, so the 5 p.m. opening means weekday prices apply. This Is Reno reports that the Reno Veterans Day Parade steps off downtown on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. That puts a morning downtown and an evening in the arboretum on the same calendar day, about six hours apart.
The festival has its own connection to veterans. If you can't use your tickets, you can transfer them through Universe to Vet Tix, which passes them on to veterans and military families.
Your ticket also supports the arboretum itself. Tianyu Arts & Culture produces Dragon Lights with Washoe County and the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Fox Reno lists Northern Nevada Health System as this year's presenting sponsor. The festival's 2026 sponsorship materials say part of the event's revenue supports the county and the garden, which helps keep daytime garden admission free.
If you're deciding which part of Reno suits the way you like to spend evenings, whether that's walking to Rancho San Rafael or reaching downtown in minutes, the team at Kristin Zuckerman Real Estate knows these neighborhoods at every hour. Request a Private Consultation and we'll walk you through them.
