If holiday lights are part of your family's tradition, this is the year to come up north for them. The Brainerd Noon Sertoma Club has announced that 2026 is the 21st and final season of Sertoma Winter Wonderland, the drive-through light show at the Northland Arboretum in Baxter. Add Nisswa's City of Lights the day after Thanksgiving, a tree lighting and parade under the Pequot Lakes bobber, and a lit-up Christmas tree farm on Highway 371, and you have a full season of holiday lights in the Brainerd Lakes in 2026, all within 25 minutes of our homes.
This is our mid-November guide to those nights: every date we've verified so far, what to know before you go, and how we'd plan a lights weekend from the lake.
Key takeaways
- Sertoma Winter Wonderland (Baxter) opens Thanksgiving night, Thu Nov 26, and runs Thursday to Saturday, plus every night Dec 24 to 31, 5:30 to 8 pm. It's the final year.
- Nisswa City of Lights is Fri Nov 27 in downtown Nisswa and is free. The 2026 start time hasn't been posted; the chamber says it kicks off in the afternoon and ends with fireworks, so check their page before you go.
- Christmas Acres at Copper Creek in Nisswa is listed from Nov 27 into late December (their page shows Dec 23, but also calls that a Sunday — Dec 23, 2026 is a Wednesday — so check before you go), with Santa visits Dec 5 and Dec 12.
- Santa's Bobbin' Into Town in Pequot Lakes is Sat Dec 12: tree lighting at 5:45 pm, parade at 6, fireworks at 6:20.
- Thanksgiving weekend lines all of these up. Book early if you want that weekend at the lake.
The 2026 holiday lights calendar for the Brainerd Lakes
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu Nov 26 (Thanksgiving) | Sertoma Winter Wonderland opens, 5:30 to 8 pm | Northland Arboretum, Baxter |
| Fri Nov 27 | Nisswa City of Lights, free (2026 start time to be posted) | Downtown Nisswa |
| From Fri Nov 27 (confirm last day) | Christmas Acres at Copper Creek | 24735 Hwy 371, Nisswa |
| Thu to Sat: Nov 26–28, Dec 3–5, 10–12, 17–19 | Sertoma Winter Wonderland, 5:30 to 8 pm | Baxter |
| Sat Dec 5 | Santa and Mrs. Claus at Copper Creek, 10 am to noon | Nisswa |
| Sat Dec 12 | Santa at Copper Creek, 1 to 3 pm | Nisswa |
| Sat Dec 12 | Santa's Bobbin' Into Town, 4 to 8 pm | Trailside Park, Pequot Lakes |
| Thu Dec 24 to Thu Dec 31 | Sertoma Winter Wonderland, open nightly (final nights ever) | Baxter |
Sertoma Winter Wonderland: the last season
For 21 seasons, Sertoma Winter Wonderland has been a drive-through tour of more than 80 lighted and animated displays on the grounds of the Northland Arboretum (14250 Conservation Dr, Baxter). More than 1,000 vehicles roll through each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's, and the club has given roughly $500,000 to local nonprofits over the years. In September the club announced that rising electricity costs and the lack of a long-term lease at the Arboretum mean 2026 will be its final year (Brainerd Dispatch).
When: 5:30 to 8 pm Thursday through Saturday starting Thanksgiving night (Nov 26–28, then Dec 3–5, 10–12 and 17–19), and every night from Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve (Dec 24–31). Check Sertoma's Winter Wonderland page before you go.
Good to know before you go:
- Buy tickets ahead. Admission is per vehicle. Advance tickets are sold online and have cost less than paying at the gate, which has taken cash or check only.
- Your ticket works any open night, so a snowy evening doesn't cost you anything. Just go another night.
- Lights down. Volunteers ask you to turn off your headlights and drive on parking lights, and to keep rolling slowly rather than stopping.
- The line moves. Sertoma says there's often a line at the entrance, but it moves quickly.
- Weather closings are posted on Sertoma's Facebook page. If they haven't announced a closing an hour before opening, assume it's open.
- Final-year crowds. Since it's the last season, we'd expect Thanksgiving weekend and the week after Christmas to be the busiest. If you can, aim for a Thursday in early December.
From downtown Nisswa it's about a 20-minute drive south to the Arboretum. Kids can stay in pajamas, and everyone stays warm.
Nisswa City of Lights (Fri Nov 27)
The day after Thanksgiving, downtown Nisswa lights up its trees, fences and storefronts for City of Lights, the Nisswa Chamber's free holiday kickoff on Friday, Nov 27, 2026. The chamber lists train rides, Polar Express storytelling, food vendors, bonfires, hot cider and mini donuts, carolers, visits with Santa and a fireworks show to finish. A 2026 start time hasn't been posted (the chamber says it kicks off in the afternoon), so check the chamber's event page closer to the day rather than going by an unofficial clock time.
For the whole Thanksgiving weekend in town, see Nisswa in November 2026, and if you're shopping while you're downtown, our holiday shopping guide to Nisswa walks Main Street shop by shop.
Christmas Acres at Copper Creek, Nisswa
Copper Creek's garden center on Highway 371 turns its grounds into Christmas Acres starting Friday, Nov 27: lit acreage, Christmas trees and fresh greens, warm cider and popcorn in the greenhouse, ornament making for kids, s'mores at the bonfire, and an ice rink when it's cold enough. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Their page currently shows an end date of Dec 23, and also calls that day a Sunday (Dec 23, 2026 is a Wednesday), so check before you go. Santa and Mrs. Claus visit the greenhouse on Saturday, Dec 5 (10 am to noon) and Saturday, Dec 12 (1 to 3 pm). Details are on Copper Creek's Christmas Acres page.
Our tip: fresh-cut trees are available starting Nov 20. If you're staying with us over the holidays, a small wreath or a bundle of greens from Copper Creek makes the house feel like yours for the week.
Santa's Bobbin' Into Town, Pequot Lakes (Sat Dec 12)
Ten minutes north, Pequot Lakes celebrates "under the bobber" at its 15th annual Santa's Bobbin' Into Town in Trailside Park (31078 Government Dr). From 4 to 6 pm there's a bonfire, horse and wagon rides, hot cocoa and cookies, a kids' bobber hunt and carolers, plus a free dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Legion from 4:15 to 5:30. The Mayor's Tree Lighting is at 5:45 pm, the parade follows at 6, and fireworks go up at 6:20. It's put on by Community Action of Pequot Lakes; see the event listing for updates.
How we'd plan a holiday-lights weekend from the lake
Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 26 to 29)
- Thursday: cook at the house, then load everyone into the car in pajamas for Sertoma's opening night. Pie when you get back.
- Friday: a slow morning, then head downtown for City of Lights in the afternoon and stay for the fireworks.
- Saturday: Christmas Acres at Copper Creek for cider and a wreath, then a hot tub under the stars.
A December weekend
- Saturday, Dec 12: Santa at Copper Creek in the early afternoon, then on to Pequot Lakes for the tree lighting, parade and fireworks.
- Any Thursday to Saturday night: dinner out (our guide to restaurants in Nisswa and Pequot Lakes has year-round picks, and who's open in winter has late-fall hours), then Sertoma on the way home.
Christmas week (Dec 24 to 31)
Sertoma is open every night, the last nights it will ever run. Pair it with a quiet Christmas at the lake and a New Year's Eve drive through the lights.
Where to stay for a lights weekend
Looking for a house rental in Nisswa for a lights weekend? Every one of our four lake homes has a hot tub, which is exactly where you want to be after an evening in the cold:
- Clark Lake, across from the Paul Bunyan State Trail and close to downtown for City of Lights
- West Twin, quiet and tucked into the woods
- Lake Hubert, with a sunroom and fireplace for slow mornings
- Our Gull Lake vacation rental, which sleeps 14, for the whole extended family
Planning the big meal too? Our Thanksgiving at the Lake guide covers hosting a crowd. And for everything else this season, from Christmas markets to Mount Ski Gull, see our guide to Nisswa in winter and the holidays, plus our 2026 Christmas markets list.
FAQ
Is 2026 really the last Sertoma Winter Wonderland? Yes. The Brainerd Noon Sertoma Club announced in September 2026 that this season, its 21st, will be the final one.
When does Sertoma Winter Wonderland open in 2026? Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov 26. It runs Thursday to Saturday, 5:30 to 8 pm, and every night Dec 24 to 31. Confirm on Sertoma's site before you go.
Is Nisswa City of Lights free? Yes. It's Friday, Nov 27, 2026, in downtown Nisswa, and it's free. A 2026 start time hasn't been posted yet; the chamber says it kicks off in the afternoon and ends with fireworks, so check their event page before you go.
What's the best night for holiday lights near Nisswa? For the most in one trip, Thanksgiving weekend: Sertoma opens Thursday and City of Lights is Friday. If you'd rather skip the biggest crowds, we'd try an early-December Thursday at Sertoma.
Make it a lake-house holiday
Lights, cider, fireworks, then home to a fireplace and a hot tub. See our Nisswa lake house rentals and book direct at bookingthenordicmn.com.
