Pinecrest Gardens' winter season runs from November through January, and it collides with itself three times. On Saturday, December 12, and Saturday, December 19, a Banyan Bowl concert plays from 8 to 10 p.m. on a night when Nights of Lights is open across the grounds from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Then on Sunday, January 24, the Art & Design Fair takes the place of the Sunday farmers market.
The Gardens' admission page says that "tickets to festivals, special events, performances and classes are sold separately." Neither the concert pages nor the Nights of Lights page says one ticket gets you into the other event. So on the crowded dates, plan on buying two tickets or choosing one event.
November 7 is the one big night with nothing else on it
The 17th annual Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens season opens on Saturday, November 7, at 8 p.m. with Allyson Briggs, of Fleur Seule, and The Dan Gabel Big Band. The event page calls it "A Night of Big Band Glamour Under the Stars," with Great American Songbook standards and big band swing.
Tickets for this show and every other show in the series are priced the same way.
| Seating | Single show, incl. $5 processing fee | Jazz 6-show subscription, incl. $10 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Level A | $55 to $60 | $275 |
| Level B | $45 to $50 | $250 |
The Jazz series page says concert patrons get free parking and access to pre-concert concessions. On November 7, the Banyan Bowl has the evening to itself. Four weeks later, that changes.
Nights of Lights runs 15 nights, and two of them already have concerts booked
Nights of Lights runs on select dates from December 4 to December 27, 2026, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The page lists light displays throughout the Gardens, Santa and Grinch appearances on select nights, Story Time, the Jolly Craft Corner, holiday vendors and a nighttime visit to the Gardens' playground. According to the official calendar, it is open on these nights:
| Nights of Lights dates | Also at the Banyan Bowl |
|---|---|
| Dec. 4 to 6 | Opening night, Dec. 4, with a 7 p.m. tree lighting |
| Dec. 11 to 13 | Dec. 12: Allan Harris Sings a Nat King Cole Christmas, 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 17 to 23 | Dec. 19: Orquesta La Oferta Honors El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 26 to 27 | None |
The December 4 opening has a 7 p.m. tree lighting with carolers, plus Santa appearances, Story Time, the Jolly Craft Corner and "The Legend of Frosty" performed by Maria Verdeja School of the Arts. The Dec. 4 listing lays out the evening in more detail than most of the season's other nights.
Some practical points from the festival page:
- Tickets are good only for the date you pick when you buy.
- The gate may sell tickets, subject to availability. The Gardens strongly recommends buying ahead.
- The Jolly Craft Corner and holiday classes need separate add-on tickets. General admission doesn't include them.
- Parking is free.
- Members get a discount at the gate with a valid membership card and photo ID.
As of mid-October, the festival page still listed ticket sales as "coming soon," with no price posted. Since each ticket is good for one night, the date you choose decides whether you'll be on the grounds during a concert.
How December 19 is laid out by the hour
The Gardens has posted an hour-by-hour program for December 19, so it's the easiest overlap night to plan around. Here is how the two events line up:
- 6:30 p.m. Nights of Lights opens. Santa and Grinch appearances begin.
- 7 p.m. Jolly Craft Corner opens. It's an add-on ticket.
- 7:30 p.m. Story Time starts.
- 8 p.m. Orquesta La Oferta takes the Banyan Bowl stage for the Tropical Nights series.
- 8:30 p.m. Santa and Grinch appearances and Story Time end.
- 9 p.m. Jolly Craft Corner closes.
- 10 p.m. The concert and the festival both end.
The Dec. 19 listing also has a baking class, with details still to come.
Every kids' activity with a posted time ends by 9 p.m., and the concert runs from 8 to 10 p.m. A household that wants both would need a Nights of Lights ticket for the early evening and a concert ticket for the later part. The concert's two hours fall entirely inside the festival's hours.
Orquesta La Oferta's tribute to El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is the first of three Tropical Nights shows this season. Baila Nova Plays Jobim follows on February 27, and Cortadito's tribute to Buena Vista Social Club plays April 3. Single tickets are $55 to $60 for Level A and $45 to $50 for Level B. The three-show subscription costs $150 or $135, with processing fees included. As of mid-October, single tickets for December 19 were marked "On Sale Now."
December 12 has a Christmas concert in the bowl and the lights outside it
Allan Harris Sings a Nat King Cole Christmas plays from 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, at the same prices as the rest of the Jazz series. That night falls in the December 11 to 13 run of Nights of Lights. Of the two overlap nights, this is the one where both events have a holiday theme.
The concert page doesn't give a separate time for doors to open. If you're coming only for the music, the free parking still applies, since the Jazz page and the festival page both list it. Expect the grounds to be busier than on November 7.
In January, the art fair takes the market's Sunday
The Sunday farmers market is in the South Parking Lot at 11000 Red Road. It now runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and a free community Vinyasa yoga class runs from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The Pinecrest Tribune called those "NEW HOURS" in its September roundup. If you remember a later start, that's why. Some of the market page's text still gives the old 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours, but the heading and the event listing show the new ones.
There will be no market on January 24, 2027. That weekend, January 23 and 24, belongs to the 2027 Art & Design Fair, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Its call for artists says about 75 exhibitors will be chosen and up to $10,000 in awards will be handed out. On that Sunday, the fair replaces the usual morning shopping and yoga, and it runs later in the day.
The weekend before is quieter. The Sweet Tooth Jazz Band plays the Banyan Bowl on Saturday, January 16. That's a standalone Saturday night, like November 7.
What's on view in the Gardens through the season
On any day you visit, "Miami Through the Lens: An Exhibition of Contemporary Photography by South Florida Artists," curated by Hartvest Project, is on display. The Gardens' events directory lists it as on view through January 3. That covers every Nights of Lights date.
Two other updates come from the Village's September 2026 Pinecrest Sun. The Gardens has acquired a juvenile Dragon Tree, and a new history exhibition, "Wings, Scales & Wonder," is being developed. The newsletter asks residents to share historic photos, artifacts, memories and film. It gives no opening date. Families who have lived near Red Road for a long time may have material for it in a closet.
If you plan to come back several times this season, the Gardens' membership page lists these rates: Individual $55, Dual $95, Family $145, Senior $45 and Student $30. Membership includes free general admission and discounted tickets to select events. The page says those rates took effect October 1, 2023, and that benefits can change without notice. Confirm them at the front desk before you count on the Nights of Lights gate discount.
Phillip Delgado has spent 25 years working in Pinecrest, and the Gardens' calendar is part of how he keeps up with the neighborhood. If you're picking between December 12 and December 19, or have questions about anything else in the Village, SearchingHomes is glad to help in English or Spanish. Let's talk about your next move.
