Dragon Lights Reno: Nature's Glow Review

Mar. 03, 2026

Dragon Lights Reno: Nature's Glow Review

Dragon Lights are back in Reno and we are sharing everything you need to know!

For more information, please visit our website.

Related Articles You May Like:

The Complete List of Farmers Markets in Reno, Sparks, Carson City
The Animal Ark, a Local Moms Review
5 Splash Pads in Reno, Sparks, Carson City Areas

Dragon Lights Nature’s Glow

The Dragon Lights Nature’s Glow is a special light show that takes place outdoors, showcasing beautiful lanterns, in different shapes and colors, an interactive playground and food court.

Location

Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, within Rancho San Rafael Park, N Sierra St, Reno, NV

Dates and Hours

Sep 26-Nov 1 Monday to Sunday from 6-9pm and Nov 2 – 30 from 5-9pm

Parking

Free parking is available at a first come first serve basis. Parking is available all throughout the park. The Green Lot located at the University of Reno is also available for free parking Fridays and Saturdays.

Cost

These are the weekday prices for tickets purchased online:

General Admission: $22 per person (for individuals aged 12 and above).
Children: $16 per child (for children aged 3-11).
Family 4 Pack: $78 (for an four people, children must be accompanied by adults).
Group of 10: $18/person each
Infants: FREE (for children under 3 years old).

These are the weekend (Friday & Saturday) prices for tickets purchased online:

General Admission: $25 per person (for individuals aged 12 and above).
Children: $18 per child (for children aged 3-11).
Family 4 Pack: $86 (for an four people, children must be accompanied by adults).
Group of 10: $20/person each
Infants: FREE (for children under 3 years old).

Tickets are more expensive if purchased at the door. Definitely save and purchase ahead! Get 20% off when for groups of 10 or more (purchased online).

Food

You can bring your own food (alcohol is not allowed). There are also several food and drink vendors inside and they accept cash and card. There are a few picnic tables to sit at.

Gift Shop

There is a Lantern Marketplace inside where you can purchase lantern souvenirs and Asian handicrafts.

Know Before You Go

Bigger then previous years!
Plan on spending about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Outhouses only
Stroller, wagon, and baby wearing friendly.
Bring a flash light! The walk back to your car can be dark!
We recommend closed toe shoes as most of the path is dirt.
Parking can get full so plan on walking a little bit from your spot.
It can get crowded so consider that when going with your family. A stroller or wagon is a great idea for littles in the crowd.
Save money and pack a picnic dinner or snacks! Visitors to the festival are allowed to bring their own food (no alcohol).
The looped path is just over a mile long and is mostly flat.
Once you enter you can stay as long as you want and walk through more than once.
While its magical at any time, I personally think the best time to experience the lanterns is 8:30pm or later. Once it starts to get dark you can really experience all of the colors. I would arrive about 8pm and enjoy the interactive playground, have a snack and then walk through after 8:30.
Save money and purchase your ticket online in advance.

Our Experience

I loved the atmosphere at Dragon Lights Nature Glow, it was really fun! Music played in the background, and the whole area was beautifully lit. One of the things I loved about Dragon Lights Nature Glow was that it was suitable for all ages. We saw people of all ages enjoying the Dragon Lights.

Overall, Dragon Lights Nature’s Glow was a magical experience for our family. We got back in the car and my kids raved about how much fun they had. It combined the beauty of nature with the wonder of light, interactive activities, and creating a memorable adventure.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly outing that will spark your child’s imagination and create lasting memories, Dragon Lights Nature’s Glow is definitely worth a visit!

Dragon Lights Festival Reno (): Ticket Prices, Themes

Dragon Lights Festival Reno (): Ticket Prices, Themes, Parking and More

Experience the annual Dragon Light Festival in Reno, a spectacular event that will ignite your imagination and illuminate your senses.

Prepare to be mesmerized as you enter a world of enchantment, where intricate lanterns and larger-than-life creatures come to life with a symphony of lights.

Whether you're a local or a visitor, this extraordinary celebration offers an immersive experience for all.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you’ll need to know to attend this unforgettable summer-time event. Let’s get into it.

Address Thank you!

Dragon Lights Reno Dates & New Additions

The Dragon Lights Festival is an annual summer time event in Reno and features hundreds of themed, illuminated lanterns along a trail just shy of a mile.

It’s held at Rancho San Rafael Park in the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and features a new theme with accommodating lanterns each year.

In , the theme is, “Nature’s Glow”, with several creatures typically found in gardens and tropical settings. Such as:

Honey Bees
Wasps
Ants
Tucson Birds
Lemurs
Peacocks
Parrots
Dragonflies
and more!

Also new in is the brand new presentation of the iconic Chinese Dragon and the expanded interactive playground featuring a swing set, drums, lighting effects and more.

The festival runs nightly from June 30th to August 13th, 6pm to 10:30pm.

Tickets & Parking

Parking at the event is included in the price of your admission ticket. There are several lots at the park you can utilize. They are:

InLight supply professional and honest service.

Lot A: This is the lot nearest the entrance and exit. This lot is reserved for disability parking.
Lot B: This is the first lot you’ll come across and is smaller than Lot A. It typically fills quickly.
Lot C: The largest lot, but furtherest from the entrance, it is located down San Rafael drive on the eastern edge of the park.
Lot D (or '“green” lot): This lot is located at the UNR campus off Comstock Dr. and is utilized for overflow parking on the weekends.

If you park in A or B, you’ll be within walking distance of the festival entrance. If you end up in C, you can still walk or take advantage of the free shuttle service (runs Thursday - Sunday).

The D lot also offers free shuttle service to the entrance, but only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets can be purchased either online (through this link) or in person at the gate. If you opt to purchase at the gate, be aware that you’ll pay a surcharge of $5 - $15, per ticket.

Purchasing online is easy and convenient. You’ll select your desired date, your ticket type, and once your purchase is complete, save the tickets to your to be scanned at the gate.

The festival ticket prices are as follows:

$20 per adult (age 12+)
$15 per child (age 3 -11)
Free for children under 3
$55 family pack (includes two adult and two child tickets)
$55 season pass (unlimited entry all season for ONE person)

When purchasing your tickets, you’ll be asked to select an entry time. They are 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00. You’ll have one hour from your selected entry time to arrive and can stay as long as you wish.

We arrived 20-minutes early to our entry time and were still granted entry. No one batted an eye. If you arrive late, they’ll make every effort to accommodate you but there’s no guarantee.

There are no refunds, but they will allow you to change the date/time of your ticket up to one hour prior to your entry time. You can do so in the account you made while making your purchase.

The Lantern Trail & Amenities

After entering, you’ll come into an opening and see the iconic Chinese dragon ahead of you. To your right will be the interactive playground and to your left will be the food vendors.

To find the trail that winds through the lantern displays, follow the path through the dragon and go right (keeping the interactive playground to your right).

The trail is less than a mile and is on fairly even ground. There are some grade changes along the way but they’re barely noticeable. It’s mostly paved, but there are some dirt/gravel patches.

If you’re bringing little ones along, both strollers and wagons are permitted. They should have wheels appropriate for the terrain, though.

You’ll find dozens of illuminated lanterns along the trail. From beautiful floral themes to giant frogs and armadillos. Some are interactive and many have moving parts.

There are also a couple make-shift tunnels with special lighting affects you’ll get to walk through. Additionally, themed music plays throughout the length of the trail.

As you reach the end of the trail, it’ll split. If you’re done for the night, go left to exit. If you want to remain in the festival, go right to loop back in to where you entered earlier.

When Should You Enter & Tips

We arrived at around 7:45pm and there was still plenty of light left. When we did our first walk through the trail, we were impressed by how illuminated the lanterns still were, despite it not being dark.

However, once the night sky set in, that’s when the lanterns popped and were the most impressive and fun to look at. Consequently, that’s also when the crowds got thick.

Clearly, you’re going to want to be there when it’s dark. That’s the whole point. My suggestion, though, would be to select an entry time prior to sunset.

The reason for this is because it’ll allow you to get a feel for the festival and see the top attractions without having to worry about big crowds. The later it gets, the heavier the crowds get.

This way, you can do a second loop around the trail once it gets dark. You’ll already know what the best exhibits are, so you won’t waste time on the ones you don’t care about and can get through the crowd faster.

It’s also advantageous if you have small children tagging along. It’ll be a lot easier to keep track of them in the interactive playground while there’s still some light.

Dragon Lights Reno: Nature's Glow Review