Byron Center's 2026 holiday season starts at Tanger Outlets on Friday, Nov. 13, and ends on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at Everett's Gardens. Both are on 84th Street. In between, Everett's drive-through light display runs on a steady Thursday-to-Saturday rhythm. The one exception is Christmas week, when the lights run three weeknights in a row, Dec. 21 to 23.
Three Addresses on One Street
Tanger Outlets Grand Rapids is at 350 84th Street SW in Byron Center. Foxtail Coffee is also on the SW stretch, at 325 84th Street SW, and its official page lists hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Everett's Gardens is on the SE side of 84th at 240 84th St SE.
Those three addresses cover most of the season. You can light a tree, pick up a coffee, choose a Christmas tree and drive past the light displays without leaving 84th Street. The Kent District Library Byron Township Branch at 8191 Byron Center Ave. SW handles the weekday mornings and afternoons, as covered further down.
Nov. 13: The Lights Go On at Tanger First
Tanger holds its Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. The mall lists photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, appearances by Elsa, Anna and Olaf, hot cocoa, kids' crafts, live entertainment and seasonal activities. An Overlook event listing puts the date at Friday, November 13, 2026.
According to Experience Grand Rapids, Tanger's regular Friday hours run 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. On a normal Friday schedule, the stores stay open an hour after the lighting ends.
The tree lighting comes a full week before anything opens at the other end of 84th Street. It is the only big holiday event on the Byron Center calendar until Nov. 20.
Nov. 20: Everett's Gardens Opens for the Season
Christmas at Everett's Gardens runs from November 20 to December 23. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The garden center is closed on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Everett's sells cut and live Christmas trees, freshly cut greens, garland and wreaths, and the grounds are lit with thousands of lights. The garden center's events page describes it as "like being in a real-life hallmark movie."
The later Thursday-to-Saturday hours line up with the drive-through. The light display runs 6 to 8 p.m., so on those nights the retail floor stays open for the full two hours the lights are on.
The Light Nights Run Thursday Through Saturday
The Drive Thru Christmas Light Display runs on selected nights from 6 to 8 p.m. It has hand-crafted displays, s'mores by a fire, and a chance to pick out a tree at the end of the drive. The display page and the ticket shop list these dates:
| Week | Light nights | Days of the week |
|---|---|---|
| Opening weekend | Nov. 20, 21 | Friday, Saturday |
| Thanksgiving weekend | Nov. 27, 28 | Friday, Saturday |
| First week of December | Dec. 3, 4, 5 | Thursday, Friday, Saturday |
| Second week | Dec. 10, 11, 12 | Thursday, Friday, Saturday |
| Third week | Dec. 17, 18, 19 | Thursday, Friday, Saturday |
| Christmas week | Dec. 21, 22, 23 | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday |
That makes 16 nights in all. The first 13 fall on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The last three move to the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday just before Christmas Eve. In November the Thursdays are dropped, and Nov. 26 is Thanksgiving, when Everett's is closed.
Christmas week also changes the evening at the garden center. On Dec. 21, 22 and 23, retail closes at 6 p.m. because those are Monday-through-Wednesday hours, and the lights come on at 6. On the earlier weekend nights, you can shop the tree lot and greens while the display is running. In the final three nights, the shop has closed by the time the display starts. The display description does offer a tree at the end of the drive.
What a Ticket Covers, and When the Membership Pays Off
One car costs $10, and you can buy tickets ahead online. Online tickets are non-refundable, the emailed invoice works as your ticket, and you need to bring a valid ID. An unlimited light-display membership costs $30. It comes as an emailed ticket, and Everett's will provide physical passes on request.
At those prices, the membership costs the same as three single visits. One trip opening weekend, one in early December and one in Christmas week covers it, and every visit after that is free. With 16 nights on the schedule, a household that drives through more than three times saves money.
- Single visit: $10 per vehicle, non-refundable online, invoice serves as the ticket, valid ID required
- Unlimited membership: $30, emailed ticket, physical passes available on request
- Break-even: the third visit
The ticket shows what the drive-through costs. WOOD TV8's December 2025 visit shows what's on it. Last season the station described a nativity scene, biblical scenes, the Grinch and Snoopy, and a campfire with a free s'more, along with the same $10 and $30 ticket prices. The garden center says the display aims "to share the true meaning of Christmas through hand-crafted displays and lights."
Nov. 27: Black Friday Starts at the Tree Lot
The Black Friday Doorbuster runs Friday, Nov. 27, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, and there are deals on trees from 2 to 9 feet tall plus wreaths, garland and boughs.
Nov. 27 is also a light night. The doorbuster runs until 8 p.m. and the display runs from 6 to 8, so on that Friday you can buy a tree at the sale price and drive the lights the same evening. It is the only night of the season with both the sale and the lights.
The Library Covers the Rest of the Week
Everett's light nights cluster on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and Tanger's big event is on a Friday. The KDL Byron Township Branch fills in a few other days. Its calendar for late November through December 2026 lists several seasonal programs.
- Shenanigans' Holiday Friends: Monday, Dec. 7, 4 to 5 p.m.
- Ready for Reindeer!: Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 to 11 a.m.
- KDL Lab Experience: Light Up Your World: Monday, Dec. 14, 3:30 to 5 p.m., a science program about how light works
- Countdown to Happy Noon Year!: Wednesday, Dec. 30, 10 a.m. to noon
Two of these programs fall on Mondays, when nothing else on 84th Street has a scheduled event. Ready for Reindeer! is the morning of Dec. 12, a Saturday light night at Everett's, so you could do the library at 10 a.m. and the drive-through at 6 p.m. Countdown to Happy Noon Year! comes a week after Everett's closes for the season and is the last event on this calendar.
The Season, Week by Week
Here is how the dates combine for someone who lives near 84th Street:
- Week of Nov. 9: Tanger's Tree Lighting Celebration, Friday, Nov. 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Week of Nov. 16: Everett's Gardens opens Friday, Nov. 20. Light nights are Nov. 20 and 21. If you plan to go back, this is the time to buy the $30 membership.
- Thanksgiving week: Everett's is closed Thursday, Nov. 26. The Black Friday Doorbuster and a light night are both on Nov. 27, and the lights run again Nov. 28.
- Week of Nov. 30: Light nights Dec. 3, 4 and 5, the first Thursday-to-Saturday run.
- Week of Dec. 7: Shenanigans' Holiday Friends at the library on Monday, then light nights Dec. 10, 11 and 12, with Ready for Reindeer! the morning of Dec. 12.
- Week of Dec. 14: Light Up Your World at the library on Monday, then light nights Dec. 17, 18 and 19.
- Christmas week: Light nights Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 21 to 23. Retail closes at 6 p.m. on those days, and Everett's season ends Dec. 23.
- Week of Dec. 28: Countdown to Happy Noon Year! at the library, Wednesday, Dec. 30.
On any of these mornings, Foxtail Coffee at 325 84th Street SW opens at 6 a.m. For more of what's around town year-round, see the Byron Center neighborhood guide. The late-summer-to-fall weekend map covers the months before this calendar starts.
The team at Rodriguez Homes works with Byron Center homeowners all year, including through the holidays. If a move is on your list for 2027, the quieter days between light nights are a good time to find out where your home stands. Start with our instant home valuation, and we can talk about the spring market whenever you're ready.
