Tonight, Thursday, November 12, the lights come on at NightGarden at 10901 Old Cutler Road. You need a timed ticket from Fever to go in, and for the first time the evening includes skating on real ice. Tomorrow morning at 10, the same garden opens A Very Merry Garden, its daytime holiday program. That one runs on Fairchild's own admission, and members pay nothing.
So the holiday season at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is really two events at one address, with different hours, ticket sellers and prices. If you live a short trip up Old Cutler in Ponce-Davis, you can come back many times. That makes the split worth understanding before the first weekend. The daytime ticket covers Santa, Mrs. Claus, the cocoa bar and the decorated garden for six weeks. The night ticket is how you get the light show and the new rink.
| A Very Merry Garden | NightGarden | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | November 13 to December 24, 2026 | November 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027, select evenings |
| Hours | Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Sunday to Thursday 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 6 to 11 p.m.; New Year's Eve 6 p.m. to midnight |
| Where to buy | Fairchild's ticket portal, the Gift Shop kiosks or the front gate | Fever, with timed entry slots from 5:45 to 9 p.m. |
| Members | Free with login | Member pricing on Fever |
| Ice rink | Select days only, tickets sold at the rink | Optional add-on with its own ticket |
| Parking | Free | Limited; rideshare recommended |
What the daytime ticket includes, starting Friday
A Very Merry Garden costs the same as a regular visit, with adults from $24.95. Fairchild members get in free once they log in. The ticket covers the garden decorated for the holidays, the holiday activities around the grounds, and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus on select dates. Both appearances are held at the Gift Shop fireplace, and the schedule is worth keeping on the fridge:
- Santa, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: November 14, 21, 25 and 28; December 5, 12, 19 and 23
- Storytime with Mrs. Claus, late morning into early afternoon: November 13, 15, 22 and 29; December 6, 13, 20, 21, 22 and 24
Saturdays are Santa's main days. Sundays mostly belong to Mrs. Claus, and her run picks up again from December 20 to 24. A family planning one visit to see both should aim for that final stretch. The holiday activities page lists the rest of the daytime program in the Children's Garden. Reindeer Games run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends and on December 24. Letters to Santa happen every day, and the Hot Cocoa Bar is open from 10 to 5 daily.
Two crafts cost extra. Gingerbread Pal Decorating runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and December 21 to 24. Paint Your Own Nutcracker is at the Gift Shop Craft Table from 11 to 3. Kits are limited.
Adults get something from the daytime ticket too. Starting November 13, Fairchild plants are 20% off in the Holiday Plant Sale. You can order from the Holiday Gift Guide online and pick up at The Shop, which has a gift wrap station. The café adds holiday coffees and pastries for the season.
The night ticket, and the new rink that needs a second one
NightGarden is a different kind of visit. It is a walk-through of about an hour on lit paths, with seating along the way. Returning features include Archimedes the talking tree, the Giant Dandelions and the fairies, which this year have new lighting, soundscapes and spots that run from Pixie's Detour to the Rainbow Rainforest. The Tree of Life hosts the Secret Garden laser show. Food trucks, specialty coffee and hot chocolate are near the end of the route.
The rink is the new piece. The NightGarden FAQ calls it the first time the event has offered skating on real ice. Skating is an optional add-on with its own ticket, and you also need a valid NightGarden admission to get in. The rink has a few practical rules:
- Skaters of any age are welcome, and a limited number of skate helpers and walkers are available.
- Every skater signs a liability waiver and wears a wristband, which is issued at the event entrance.
- Session length depends on crowds and capacity, and the ice closes now and then for resurfacing.
- At peak times you may wait to get on the ice.
Fever's page notes that once you leave the event, you can't come back in. If you want to skate and eat, do both before you head for the exit. On-site parking is limited at night, so Fever recommends rideshare. Drop-off is inside the gates near the box office, and the main entrance is marked by a large inflatable light.
Fairchild also runs skating during the day on select days, with tickets sold at the rink. If skating is what your kids care about most, ask at the gate on a daytime visit before you build an evening around it.
Running the numbers for a family of four
Take two adults and two children between 3 and 11. On a weekday, buying online, daytime admission costs $73.80: two adults at $24.95 and two children at $11.95. On a weekend online, it's $85.80. That price covers whichever Santa or Mrs. Claus date you choose.
The same family pays more at night. In early November, Fever's public NightGarden listing showed a 15% promotion on early-entry tickets: adults at $32.30, down from $38, and children at $28.05, down from $33. That's $120.70 for four, before anyone puts on skates. A separate member listing on Fever shows early-entry tickets at $28 for adults and $23 for children, with membership checked at the door.
Fairchild's membership offer brings the two programs together. The NightGarden page pairs four free NightGarden tickets with a new Family & Friends membership at $245. The holiday page lists the same four-ticket offer for Individual, Dual, Grandparents and Family & Friends memberships. Membership includes free daytime admission for four adults and five children all year, early morning garden access every Tuesday, and entry to signature events such as the Chocolate Festival. If you've already bought a daytime ticket, Fairchild will apply what you paid toward a membership on the day of your visit.
Then there's getting there, which matters if you live close. Fairchild's eco-discount takes $5 off adult admission and $2 off child admission if you walk, bike or arrive by public transit, every day of the week. You have to buy at the gate to get it. At the gate, adult tickets cost $5 more than online and child tickets cost $4 more. The adult discount brings a weekday gate ticket from $29.95 back to $24.95, the same as buying online. A child's weekday gate ticket drops from $15.95 to $13.95 with the discount, which is still more than the $11.95 online price. Members who arrive by bike, on foot or by transit get a Bike-N-Five loyalty card instead. After five visits, they receive a gift admission worth $25.
The season's other dates, in order
Fairchild's calendar also has dates outside the Santa schedule and the light show:
- Thursday, November 26: The garden is open on Thanksgiving.
- November 28 and 29: The South Florida Palm Society Show & Sale comes to the garden.
- Tuesday, December 8, 6 to 9:30 p.m.: Holiday Jazz with Litus Music has general admission, premium seating, cocktail tables for two and holiday picnic baskets. Members save $5 when logged in.
- Thursday, December 24: This is the last day of A Very Merry Garden. Santa's final visit is December 23, and Mrs. Claus reads on the 24th.
- New Year's Eve: NightGarden stays open until midnight.
- Sunday, January 3: NightGarden's season ends.
- January 23 and 24, 2027: The 20th Festival of Chocolate is next. Adult admission is $27.95, and a family four-pack is $85.95.
NightGarden's operating nights for December and early January are posted on its Fever calendar. Check that page before you plan a night visit around a specific date.
Every holiday season, our family starts the same way. We put Santa's dates on the calendar, choose one night for the lights, and leave the other Saturdays for the garden by daylight. If your own holiday plans include a move or a sale, Team Citron will plan around your calendar too. When you're ready, we'll prepare a free home valuation, so you can see where your Ponce-Davis home stands without missing any of the season.
