The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy has set the dates for this year's Grand Holiday Illumination in Yonkers. Opening night is Friday, December 11, with a lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. led by the mayor of Yonkers, complimentary hot chocolate and activities for families. From then on the garden is open every evening from 4:30 to 8 p.m. through Sunday, January 3, 2027, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Admission is free. No tickets or reservations are required, and the conservancy welcomes donations.

What is lit

The display is concentrated in the Walled Garden, the Persian-style garden at the heart of the property, which is strung with more than 150,000 lights. The rest of the grounds stay dark and closed during the event, so the whole evening happens inside the walls, around the canals and pavilions.

Music plays through the garden each night, drawn from several traditions: classical Christmas music, Indo-Persian music, Jewish music and Hindu music, a nod to the mix of influences built into the garden itself. There is a scavenger hunt for all ages, and the conservancy schedules extra evenings with live music, crafts and free hot chocolate during the run. Those dates post to its online calendar.

Before you go

Parking is limited at 945 North Broadway, and the conservancy asks visitors to arrive early or consider another way of getting there. The Greystone Metro-North station on the Hudson Line is about a mile west, down the hill. The only public restrooms are outside the Cola Center community building. Paths in the garden are uneven in places and run beside water, so the conservancy asks visitors to walk with care.

Weather can close the garden on a given night; cancellations and any early closures are posted on the conservancy's website. The conservancy can be reached at (914) 613-4502.

Also in Yonkers this weekend

A mile south on Warburton Avenue, the Hudson River Museum holds its Diwali Festival on Saturday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Kathak and Bharatanatyam dance performances, Indian classical music, a Bollywood workshop, henna, sari draping and family art workshops on making diyas and rangoli patterns.

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