From dusk to 10 p.m. every night this season, lights will run along Campbell Station Road from the I-40 commuter lot to Campbell Station Inn Plaza, where the road meets Kingston Pike. Founders Park, at 405 N. Campbell Station Road, is the event's home base. At the Kingston Pike end are Campbell Station Inn, a landmark more than 200 years old, and a synthetic ice rink at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza. Most of the Town of Farragut's holiday season takes place on that one stretch of road.
That stretch runs on three schedules. The lights stay on until 10 p.m., the park restrooms close at 9 p.m., and the rink keeps its own weekday and weekend hours and closes on Mondays. Which night you go decides which of those you actually get.
One Road, Three Closing Times
Here is how the season's main pieces line up, using the Town's 2026 listings on Visit Farragut:
| Attraction | Where | When it runs | Daily hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light the Park | Founders Park, 405 N. Campbell Station Rd., and along the road | Nov. 24, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 | Dusk to 10 p.m. nightly |
| Park restrooms | Founders Park | Same as the lights | Until 9 p.m., closed Dec. 25 |
| Campbell Station Skate | Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza, 101 N. Campbell Station Rd. | Thanksgiving week into early January | Tue to Thu 4 to 8 p.m., Fri to Sun 1 to 8 p.m., closed Mondays |
| Countdown to Light the Park | 405 N. Campbell Station Rd. | Monday, Nov. 23 | Free kickoff with Santa |
The rink's dates differ within its own listing. The header says Nov. 24, a related-events card says Nov. 24 through Dec. 31, and the hours section says Nov. 23 through Jan. 3. Nov. 23 is a Monday this year, the rink's regular closed day, so check the Campbell Station Skate page before you plan on skating the first or last week.
The Kingston Pike End Opens First
On Thursday, Nov. 19, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Visit Farragut holds Center Stage at Campbell Station Inn, a free open house at 11409 Kingston Pike. This year it features Clean Eatz and music from Harper Barclay, Tingkai Cao and Melody Cheng of the Farragut Middle School Orchestra.
The Inn is more than 200 years old. It has been a stagecoach station, a hospital and a private home, and the Town of Farragut restored it. It's normally open to drop-in visitors Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The open house runs into the evening, which makes it one of the few times you can see the inside of the Inn after a workday.
The rink sits next door at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza. It's newer than many residents might guess. Farragut Press reported in November 2024 that a 53-foot-by-33-foot synthetic rink was new to Light the Park that year. The rink came back in 2025, and WATE's 2025 holiday roundup listed tickets at $5 per person for a 45-minute session. That was last season's price. The 2026 listing says only that tickets will go on sale later this fall.
Countdown Night Lands on a Monday
Countdown to Light the Park is Monday, Nov. 23, at Founders Park. It's free, with live entertainment, kids' crafts and family photo spots, and Santa flips the switch on more than 100,000 lights. The nightly displays start the next evening, Tuesday, Nov. 24.
A Monday kickoff matters for anyone hoping to make a full evening of it. The rink's posted schedule closes it on Mondays, so on Countdown night plan on the lights and the stage at Founders Park, and save skating for another night.
The 2026 parking plan hasn't been posted on the event page. For the 2024 Countdown, Farragut Press reported overflow parking across Campbell Station Road at Westgate Christian Fellowship, Autumn Care Assisted Living and Holy Cross Anglican Church, plus the Farragut Community Center at 239 Jamestowne Blvd. and Ralph McGill Plaza. Knox County Sheriff's Office staff helped people cross Campbell Station Road. That was the 2024 arrangement. Check the Town's page for this year's before you go.
A Weeknight and a Weekend Are Different Trips
After Countdown night, the day you pick shapes the visit.
Tuesday through Thursday, the rink opens at 4 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m. The lights don't come on until dusk, so a weeknight runs best in this order:
- Skate at Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza in the late afternoon, before the 8 p.m. rink close.
- Walk the lit stretch of Campbell Station Road toward Founders Park after dark.
- Mail letters to Santa and check the night's giveaway from local businesses and groups at the park.
- Use the restrooms before 9 p.m., an hour before the lights go off at 10.
Friday through Sunday, the rink opens at 1 p.m. and closes at 8 p.m., and the Town says a food truck will be parked at the rink on weekends this year. A weekend gives you daylight skating, dinner from the truck and the lights afterward, all without leaving the road. The Skate page also notes that many shops and restaurants are within walking distance of the rink.
Mondays are lights only.
December Sends You Off the Road and Back
In December, the Town starts sending people beyond Campbell Station Road, and most of those trips start and end at the Farragut Community Center at 239 Jamestown Blvd.
The Festive in Farragut Trail runs Dec. 2 to 31. You pick up a paper passport at the Community Center or join the digital version online. Participating locations post a window cling with a code, and you log each code as you visit. You bring the finished passport back to the Community Center for a prize. The page says registration opens in November. This year's stops and prize haven't been announced. The 2024 trail included 35 North, French Market Crêperie, Status Dough, Summer Moon Coffee, VG's Bakery, Seasons, Brickhouse Collectibles, Embroidery Boutique, Katy's Hallmark, The Shoppes at Homespun and Painting with a Twist, along with the rink and the lights. Visiting 10 of the 14 stops earned a Visit Farragut campfire mug and sticker.
The Community Center also hosts its own evenings:
- Celebrate the Season, Thursday, Dec. 3: cookie decorating, crafts and a holiday movie. Kids can share wish lists with Santa and get a free photo.
- New Year's at Noon, Thursday, Dec. 31: dancing, New Year's Eve snacks and kid-friendly bubbly drinks, at a time when younger kids are still awake.
The other December stop is the Winter Market at Biddle Farms on Saturday, Dec. 12, on the Biddle Farms Community Green. Expect local art vendors selling stained glass, pottery and crochet, plus a gingerbread house contest, a local business passport, kids' crafts and photo spots. The listing shows both 11 a.m. and noon as start times, with a 4 p.m. close, so check before you go. Biddle Farms also has a newer stop for a mid-market snack. Farragut Press reported that Nekter Juice Bar opened at 112 Brooklawn St., Suite A, with a ribbon cutting on Aug. 21. It sells smoothies, acai bowls and juices.
The market is a Saturday, so it pairs well with a weekend evening on Campbell Station Road, when the rink is open from 1 p.m. and the food truck is on site.
The Dates That Close Things
The lights are on every night of the run, but the rest of the road doesn't always keep up:
- Thursday, Nov. 26, Thanksgiving: the rink is closed. The Hot to Trot 5K, 10K and Fun Run that morning at 11619 Parkside Drive is the Town's Thanksgiving Day event.
- Thursday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve: the rink is closed.
- Friday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day: the rink is closed, and so are the park restrooms.
- Friday, Jan. 1, New Year's Day: the rink is closed.
- Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027: last night of Light the Park.
With the rink closed on both Christmas Day and New Year's Day, Dec. 18 to 20 is the last full Friday-to-Sunday weekend when the rink, the weekend food truck and the lights all run together.
If the lights on Campbell Station Road have you wondering what your home near them is worth this season, the Mandy B. Street team is happy to help. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, then give us a call.
