Holiday Lights at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo opens to the public on Friday, Nov. 20, and it's free again this year. Admission costs nothing and you don't need a reservation. That makes the schedule the thing to plan around. The zoo runs the event on two separate calendars. In November, public nights are weekends only, after a members-only preview on Thursday, Nov. 19. In December it's nearly every night. The extras like Santa, ice carving and the Grinch fall on their own subset of nights. Five Fridays are the only nights with the lights, Santa and an ice carving demonstration all happening at once, and one of them adds the Grinch too.
The other fixed point is the 9 p.m. close. Several of the closest dinner spots stop serving around the same time, so it helps to choose whether you eat before or after before you leave home.
The calendar, laid out
The zoo lists the lights from 5 to 9 p.m. on its Holiday Lights 2026 page. Here's how the dates and the extras line up.
| Dates | Lights, 5 to 9 p.m. | Santa at the Gazebo, 5 to 8:30 p.m. | Ice carving, 6 p.m. | Grinch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Zoo members only | No | No | No |
| Fri.–Sun., Nov. 20–22 | Yes | Yes | Friday the 20th | No |
| Fri.–Sun., Nov. 27–29 | Yes | Yes | Friday the 27th | No |
| Fri.–Sun., Dec. 4–6 | Yes | Yes | Friday the 4th | No |
| Mon.–Thu., Dec. 7–10 | Yes | No | No | No |
| Fri.–Sun., Dec. 11–13 | Yes | Yes | Friday the 11th | No |
| Mon.–Tue., Dec. 14–15 | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wed., Dec. 16–Wed., Dec. 23 | Yes, nightly | Yes, nightly | Friday the 18th | Dec. 18–20 |
| Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 | Closed | No | No | No |
| Saturday, Dec. 26 through Dec. 31 | Yes | No | No | No |
Friday, Nov. 27 is the day after Thanksgiving, which makes it an easy night for out-of-town guests. Friday, Dec. 18 is the busiest-programmed night of the season: lights, Santa, a 6 p.m. carving and the Grinch's first night at the picnic area. From Dec. 26 on, the lights stay up through Dec. 31, but the character visits and carving demonstrations have ended.
On weeknights in early December, Dec. 7 through 10 and Dec. 14 and 15, you get the lights and nothing extra. If you want to walk the paths among more than 50 lit winter and animal figures without Santa lines, those are the nights to pick.
What's free inside, and what costs extra
Admission is free, though some of what's inside costs money. The zoo's event page marks the carousel, the pony track, the gift shop and face painting as paid. The touch tank, the Reptile House, the farm and the train appear on the same list with no charge marked. The food is all paid, and it's spread around the grounds instead of in one place:
- S'mores outside the café, which also stays open
- Kettle corn and hot cocoa by the train
- Zeppole by the Sea Turtle
- Holiday treats by the Africa exhibit
Igloos by the picnic area need a reservation. The event page doesn't list a price, so check with the zoo directly before planning around one. Santa visits are free too. Personal photos are allowed, professional photos are sold on site, and the zoo says lines may close before 8:30 p.m. If Santa is the reason for the trip, arrive early.
The zoo also asks guests to bring non-perishable food, new toys and gently used coats as donations during the event. Regular zoo rules apply in the evening, too. Pets aren't allowed, and visitors 17 and under need a chaperone.
Parking at South Mountain
The zoo shares the South Mountain Recreation Complex with Codey Arena. Its plan-your-trip page says the complex's lots and garages are free, except the Park 'n Ride garage on weekdays. On busy days, staff may send drivers to off-site parking, so follow the signs. On a weekday visit in December, keep that Park 'n Ride exception in mind.
Skate first, then the lights
Since Codey Arena shares the complex, you can go from the rink to the lights without moving the car. Essex County Parks lists public skating at Codey Arena at $14 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under, seniors 62 and older, and military, plus $5 for skate rental. A family of two adults and two children pays $48 at the door, or $68 if all four rent skates. Holiday Lights admission adds nothing to that.
The arena's posted October sessions were Fridays from 4:45 to 6:15 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. The county says holiday and school-break sessions can change, so check the arena calendar or call before you go. A weekend afternoon skate ending around 3:30 p.m. leaves time for an early dinner and the lights at 5.
Dinner depends on which side of 9 p.m. you eat
The lights stay on until 9, but several nearby kitchens close around then. Picking the restaurant first and the order of the evening second works better than the other way around.
Eat before the lights
Primavera, the Italian restaurant at 500 Pleasant Valley Way, serves dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, until 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 2 to 8 p.m. on Sunday. On a Sunday, eating there first is the only way to fit it in. On a Friday, a 5 p.m. table gets you back to the zoo in time for the 6 p.m. ice carving.
Kim's Sushi at 458 Eagle Rock Ave. is open until 8:30 p.m. daily, which also makes it a before-the-lights stop.
Eat after the lights
Royal Mint, the newest restaurant on this list, is at 643 Eagle Rock Ave. NJ.com reported that it had scheduled its grand opening for Aug. 13 and described a menu that pairs Indian tandoor cooking with tavern fare. Its site lists Tuesday dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Check the other nights before you go.
CHiT CHaT Diner at 410 Eagle Rock Ave. is open from 7 a.m. to midnight and has separate dinner and late-night menus. It's the easiest pick on a night when the kids stay until the 9 p.m. close.
Frank's Pizza in West Orange Plaza at 235 Prospect Ave. is open daily until 10 p.m.
Three of these five are on Eagle Rock Avenue, so Eagle Rock is the most reliable dinner stretch for a lights night, even though the zoo itself is on Northfield Avenue.
A Friday, Dec. 18 evening, start to finish
The Friday with the most going on is also the one that needs the most planning. The ice carving starts at 6 p.m., so save skating for the weekend that follows. Here's one way to fit the evening together.
- Arrive for the lights at 5 p.m. and go to the Gazebo first for Santa, since lines can close before 8:30.
- Be at the amphitheater for the 6 p.m. ice carving.
- Find the Grinch at the picnic area and get cocoa by the train.
- Leave around 8:30 p.m. for a late dinner at CHiT CHaT or a pie from Frank's.
For the morning after
If guests are staying over, Humberto's in the Valley at 8 South Valley Road is a good breakfast stop. It opens at 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and serves a breakfast burrito alongside wraps. Patch reported that the restaurant held its grand opening in the spring and scheduled a ribbon cutting for July 18, with a menu that includes half-pound Angus burgers, a Peruvian-style chicken sandwich and tres leches cake. It closes before 7 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and before 3 p.m. on Sundays, so plan on it for breakfast or lunch, not dinner after the lights.
If you're hosting guests this season, or thinking about which West Orange streets put you a short drive from the reservation, Rebecca Brooksher is glad to talk it through. Start your happy home hunt.
