Twelve glass-sided gazebos have stood on the Dallas Arboretum's 66 acres every holiday season since 2014. Together they have drawn hundreds of thousands of Dallas families. This is the last year they will be up. Holiday at the Arboretum runs Nov. 11, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, and the Arboretum calls it "One Final Chorus."
For people in Casa Linda Estates and Lake Park Estates, the Arboretum at 8525 Garland Road is a short trip up the same road as Casa Linda Plaza. That short drive makes the season's cheapest tickets easy to use.
Why the gazebos are retiring
The gazebos were never meant to last this long. The Arboretum told NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that the display was designed for a five-year run when it opened in 2014. Dallas took to it, so the Arboretum kept it going. Twelve years in, the animatronics are showing wear, and the Arboretum decided to retire them.
In its statement to NBC 5, the Arboretum put it this way:
"This season, the Gazebos will take their final bow, and we want to honor them by bringing the whole city together one last time."
The gazebos were built by Dallas theater people. The Arboretum's own 2014 behind-the-scenes post names Tommy Bourgeois, a production designer with the Dallas Opera, as their creative designer. Dallas Stage Scenery engineered most of the mechanical movement inside the glass. That explains why each gazebo works like a small stage set, and why the moving parts set the display's lifespan.
The rest of the holiday setup stays. The Christmas Village and the light displays will remain the core of the celebration, and the DeGolyer House will be decorated again this season. In 2027, the Arboretum will debut HYBYCOZO, a light and geometric sculpture installation. FOX 4 reports that it will replace the gazebos for the holiday season.
Late, cheap tickets work best for people who live close
The Arboretum's ticket tiers show why living nearby helps. The prices below are the Arboretum's posted 2026 holiday admission for adults.
| Ticket | Hours | Adult price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $21.95 to $25.95 | Weekday mornings, grandparents, toddlers |
| Holiday at Night | 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. | $35 to $40 | The full lit-up evening |
| Night Owl | 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., online only | $15 | A quick after-dinner walk |
| Holiday Cheer | 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on select dates | $12 | Holiday-week nights at home |
Night Owl costs less than half the standard evening ticket and gets you the same lights for the last 90 minutes of the night. That fits someone whose drive home is a few minutes down Garland Road. It is a harder sell for someone driving in from across the Metroplex.
Holiday Cheer pricing applies to Nov. 26, Dec. 24, Dec. 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Those are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. On a night when relatives are in town, a $12 ticket a short drive away makes an easy after-dinner outing.
Buy online before you go. The Arboretum adds a $4 surcharge at the gate, and parking is $15 per vehicle plus taxes and fees. The Arboretum also asks visitors to use its designated parking and stay off nearby residential streets.
The discounts page lists buy-one-get-one daytime admission for first responders, military members and eligible PreK through 12th grade teachers. For a qualifying couple, that makes a daylight visit to the gazebos cost less per person than a $15 Night Owl ticket.
A season calendar for Garland Road
Put the Arboretum dates together with the neighborhood's own event, and the season looks like this:
- Nov. 11: Holiday at the Arboretum opens, and the gazebos' final run begins.
- Nov. 26, Thanksgiving: The first $12 Holiday Cheer night, 5 to 10 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 30: The Casa Linda Tree Lighting at Casa Linda Plaza, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
- Dec. 24 and 25: Holiday Cheer pricing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Dec. 31 and Jan. 1: Holiday Cheer pricing on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
- Jan. 3, 2027: The season closes, and the gazebos go with it.
The Monday after Thanksgiving belongs to the neighborhood. The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce hosts the free tree lighting at the Edens property in Casa Linda Plaza. The lineup includes live holiday music and caroling, local vendors with sweets and holiday gifts, Santa photos, a petting zoo, train rides, face painting, balloon art, and a countdown to the tree lighting at dusk. The Chamber says last year's event drew more than 2,000 children and families, so arrive early if you want a good spot near Santa.
The Arboretum is open that same evening. A family could see the plaza tree lit at dusk, then drive up Garland Road for a Night Owl visit at 8:30 p.m. to catch the gazebos one more time.
Dinner and breakfast at Casa Linda Plaza
Casa Linda Plaza has two new places to eat before or after a visit, both opened this year.
Salisbury's Pizza opened Aug. 18 at 9540 Garland Road, Suite 407. Will and Julie Salisbury run it. According to the Lakewood Advocate, Will was a sous chef at Bullion and chef de cuisine at Carbone, and Julie was wine director at Monarch. The menu is New York-style pizza shaped by the Long Island pizzerias Will grew up around. There is dine-in service with bar and counter seating, plus takeout and in-house delivery. The Dallas Morning News describes it as family-friendly, with slices under $4 and paper on the tables for kids to color on. An early pizza dinner and a $15 Night Owl ticket make an inexpensive night out.
maman, the French-inspired café and bakery that started in New York, opened at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Suite 124 at 1152 N. Buckner Blvd. The Lakewood Advocate reports a 2,366-square-foot space that seats 50, decorated with the brand's blue toile. A butter croissant is $4, lattes run $5.25 to $6.50, and drip coffee costs $3 to $4. Coffee and a croissant there, followed by a 9 a.m. daytime visit, gets you to the gazebos before the evening crowds.
The last weeks for the gazebos
Every Holiday Cheer night falls on a holiday. The tree lighting falls on a Monday when the Arboretum is open just up the road. The cheapest tickets of the season are short evening slots that suit people who live nearby. With HYBYCOZO taking over in 2027, Jan. 3 is the last night to see the 12 gazebos.
Jenny Capritta has spent more than 35 years working in East Dallas, and these East Dallas holiday traditions are part of what makes Casa Linda home. If the season has you wondering what your own house near the Arboretum is worth, ask for a free home valuation. We'll put it together while you're out seeing the gazebos.
