Hamptons tree lightings arrive in a tight cluster: the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the first weekend of December, and a handful of Friday and Saturday nights before the solstice. The summer crowd is gone, parking is easy, and every village takes a turn flipping a switch on its own tree. Here is the 2026 season village by village, for adults 21+ planning a December weekend out east, with dates where organizers have posted them and the recurring pattern where they have not.
Southampton: the Parade of Lights
Southampton Village opens the season with the Parade of Lights, a dusk procession of decorated fire and EMS vehicles from across the South Fork, followed by the tree lighting in Agawam Park and fireworks set to holiday music. It is presented by the Christmas Decorations Committee and the Southampton Chamber of Commerce.
The 2025 edition ran on Saturday, November 29, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with the parade at 4:30 PM, the tree lighting at 5:30 PM and songs from Southampton High School's Voices of Southampton. The 2024 parade also fell on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If the pattern holds, the 2026 parade lands on Saturday, November 28, but the village had not posted it as of late October, so confirm on the village or chamber calendar before planning around it.
Arrive early. Parking near Agawam Park goes fast on parade night.
Montauk: lighting the lighthouse
The same Saturday, at the other end of the South Fork, the Montauk Point Lighthouse is wrapped in thousands of lights. In 2025 the lighting ran from 4 to 7:30 PM on Saturday, November 29, with a holiday singalong before the lights went on around 5:15 PM and hot chocolate offered for a donation. On the Sunday, Santa appeared at the top of the tower from 11 AM to 2 PM for photos.
The event is annual and fell on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in both 2023 and 2025, so expect late November again in 2026 and check the Montauk Historical Society's lighthouse site for the confirmed schedule. The lighthouse sits inside Montauk Point State Park. New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces, and that covers the park, the bluffs and the lots.
East Hampton: SantaFest, December 5
East Hampton Village has posted its date: SantaFest runs Saturday, December 5, 2026. The schedule on the village festival site:
- 10 AM to 3 PM: holiday market at Village Hall, 86 Main Street
- 11 AM: Santa arrives by helicopter in Herrick Park, 67 Newtown Lane
- Noon: the Santa Parade along Main Street and Newtown Lane
- 1 to 4 PM: Santa's Workshop in Millstone Park, and Mrs. Claus at the Ladies Village Improvement Society, 95 Main Street
- 2 PM: a free screening of *Elf* at the East Hampton Middle School auditorium
- 5 PM: the tree lighting in Herrick Park, with the window-decorating winners announced
The Deck the Windows contest runs November 27 through December 5, so the shop windows along Newtown Lane are worth a slow walk any evening that week.
East Hampton: Bonac Lights at Mulford Farm
The other East Hampton light show is a walk-through. Bonac Lights, presented by the Star of the East Masonic Lodge, moved in 2025 from East Hampton High School to Mulford Farm at 10 James Lane. That season it ran Friday and Saturday evenings through December 20, from 5:30 to 8 PM, with admission at $12 for adults and $6 for children, and Santa on selected nights. Proceeds fund college scholarships for East Hampton High School students. Parking is on James Lane, not on the farm.
The 2026 dates had not been announced as of late October. Expect a similar run of December weekends and check the Bonac Lights site before going.
Sag Harbor: Santa at the Windmill
Sag Harbor keeps its holiday focus on the Windmill on Long Wharf. In 2025, Santa and Mrs. Claus spent a mid-December afternoon there with photos and live holiday music. The village's December schedule usually firms up after Thanksgiving, so watch the chamber's calendar.
Water Mill: the indoor option
For a cold or wet night, the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill opens *William Merritt Chase and Walter Granville-Smith* on November 16, 2026, running through March 21, 2027. The show looks at how the two painters pictured summer life on the East End, which lands differently in December. It closes out the museum's year-long USA250 series.
Getting around in December
- Drive in daylight when you can. Montauk Highway is dark between villages, and lighting nights draw traffic into small downtowns at the same hour.
- Nothing in the car. Using cannabis in a motor vehicle is illegal in New York for drivers and passengers, moving or parked. Purchases ride in a closed container, and nobody drives impaired.
- Public space means public space. Agawam Park, Herrick Park, Long Wharf and every parade route are public. New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces, and the village parks fall under the public-space rule.
Where adults 21+ buy out east
The licensed stores closest to the lightings sit in the Town of Southampton: three on County Road 39 and one on Montauk Highway in Water Mill. East Hampton Town and Sag Harbor opted out of retail, so neither has a storefront, but licensed stores deliver to private residences and rentals there, with prepaid orders and an ID check at the door. Verify licensed status via the OCM QR code at cannabis.ny.gov, and see the dispensary directory for current listings.
The short version
The Hamptons holiday season runs from the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when Southampton's Parade of Lights and the Montauk lighthouse lighting have both landed in recent years, through East Hampton's SantaFest on December 5, 2026, and the Bonac Lights weekends that follow. Check each organizer for 2026 times, keep the parks and the car clear, and find the rest of the calendar on the events hub. Village details live on the Southampton, East Hampton, Sag Harbor and Montauk pages.
FAQ
When is the Southampton Parade of Lights in 2026?
The village had not posted a 2026 date as of late October. The parade has run on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in recent years, which in 2026 is November 28. Confirm with the village or the Southampton Chamber.
When is SantaFest in East Hampton?
Saturday, December 5, 2026. Santa arrives by helicopter in Herrick Park at 11 AM, the parade starts at noon, and the tree lighting is at 5 PM.
Is the Montauk Lighthouse lit for the holidays?
Yes. The lighthouse lighting is an annual event held the Saturday after Thanksgiving in recent years, most recently from 4 to 7:30 PM in 2025.
Where are Bonac Lights in East Hampton?
At Mulford Farm, 10 James Lane, since 2025. Parking is on James Lane. The 2026 schedule had not been released as of late October.
Can you use cannabis at Hamptons holiday events?
No. Parades, parks and lighthouse grounds are public spaces, and New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces.
