How Seasonal Events Work at Gilroy Gardens
Gilroy Gardens runs four distinct seasonal events that overlay the park's regular operations: Cherry Jubilee in summer, Carnival Nights in late summer, the Great Big BOO for Halloween, and North Pole Nights for the winter holidays. Each event is included with park admission (no separate event ticket required beyond your regular day ticket, though some items like tasting cards or special experiences may cost extra).
These events meaningfully change the park experience. If you're visiting during an event window, you're not just visiting Gilroy Gardens — you're visiting Gilroy Gardens during a specific overlay, and knowing what that overlay includes helps you plan.
Cherry Jubilee (June 5 – July 5, 2026)
Cherry Jubilee is Gilroy Gardens' food-centered summer event and the one that got the most external recognition — it won the IAAPA Brass Ring Award for Best New Food & Beverage Event in 2025.
What's included with admission:
- Live entertainment throughout the park
- Family games and activity stations
- Educational activities about cherries and agriculture
The Very Cherry Tasting Card (add-on purchase):
This card gives you six samples from a menu of 50+ cherry-infused items across the park's restaurants and carts. The menu spans every category — appetizers, entrees, desserts, mocktails, and craft cocktails. Highlights have included:
- Gourmet Kickin' Cherry BBQ Burger
- Cherry Balsamic Chicken Sandwich
- Cherry Funnel Cake
- Cherry Ice Cream
The Tasting Card is the right way to experience Cherry Jubilee. It gets you trying items you'd never order on your own and takes you to different parts of the park chasing the menu. If you're visiting between June 5 and July 5, budget for it.
Crowd impact: Cherry Jubilee runs during peak summer season, which is already the busiest stretch of the year. Weekends are crowded regardless. The event draws some additional visitors, but it doesn't create the spike that Halloween events do at larger parks.
Carnival Nights (August 15 – September 7, 2026)
Carnival Nights runs on select evenings in late summer and transforms the park into an evening experience with amplified entertainment and illuminated rides.
What's included:
- Magic shows and juggling acts
- Balloon artists
- Carnival games
- Specialty food and drinks
- All regular rides, now lit up for the evening setting
Ticket considerations:
- Admission is FREE for 2026 Gilroy Gardens Premium Members
- Regular tickets apply for non-members; check gilroygardens.org for Carnival Nights-specific pricing
Carnival Nights is an evening-focused event. If you're not already a member and you want to experience the park at night with the added entertainment, this is one of the better value events. The rides are the same, but the evening setting and live performers change the atmosphere considerably.
When to go: The later weeks of August have more comfortable evening temperatures than mid-August in Gilroy, which can be hot through sunset. Aim for late August or early September for the most pleasant Carnival Nights experience.
The Great Big BOO — Halloween Event (Late September – Early November)
The Great Big BOO runs on select dates from approximately late September through early November. The 2025 run was September 26 through November 2. For 2026, the event is expected to begin around September 25 — check the park calendar for confirmed dates.
What's included with admission:
- BOO Alley trick-or-treating stations throughout the park — free candy at designated stops
- The Great Big BOO live musical show (featuring original characters)
- Pop-up performances throughout the park
- Costume-friendly atmosphere — guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up
The story: The event is built around characters Vinnie the Vampire and Wolfgang Werewolf, who are trying to save Halloween from a curse put on by Wendella the Witch. The narrative runs through the live show and pop-up interactions. It's age-appropriate for small children — not a haunted-house scare experience, but a festive one with costumed characters and candy.
Is this a scare event? No. This is explicitly family-friendly and aimed at kids 2–10. There are no haunted mazes, no jump scares, and no R-rated content. If your kids scare easily, this event is actually very gentle — more like Halloween trick-or-treating with a theatrical layer than a theme park fright night.
Crowd impact: The Great Big BOO is the most attended event of the year. October weekends draw significant crowds. If visiting during BOO season, Fast Lane is worth considering for weekend visits, and arriving at opening is more important than usual.
Costumes: Guests in costume add to the atmosphere. The park welcomes costumes for all ages. Standard costume policies apply — no weapons (real or realistic-looking), nothing that blocks vision, nothing that covers the whole face for age groups that require identification.
North Pole Nights — Winter Holiday Event (Late November – December 31)
North Pole Nights runs on select dates from approximately late November through December 31, starting at Thanksgiving weekend. In 2025, the event opened November 28.
What's included:
- Twinkling light displays throughout the park
- Live musical shows with holiday themes
- Santa's Workshop (Santa meet-and-greet opportunity)
- Costumed holiday characters
- Festive food and drinks — specialty menus across park restaurants
- Ice skating (seasonal addition during the event)
- New Year's Eve fireworks over Coyote Lake with a countdown to midnight on December 31
New Year's Eve: The December 31 event is a specific ticketed occasion. The fireworks over the lake with the park fully decorated is a genuinely distinctive New Year's experience. It's not Times Square — it's a family-scale, intimate fireworks show over a lit-up botanical park. Book well in advance if you want New Year's Eve tickets.
Crowd impact: North Pole Nights draws well on weekend evenings and is particularly crowded the two weekends before Christmas. If you can attend on a weekday evening in early December, the light displays are just as impressive with smaller crowds.
Temperature: Gilroy evenings in November and December are cold, especially after dark. Bring more layers than you think you'll need. The park is outdoors, the gardens don't provide warmth, and standing for a light show at 45°F without a jacket is unpleasant.
Event Calendar Tips
- All event dates are confirmed on gilroygardens.org/calendar-hours. Never assume an event runs on a specific date without checking — events run on select dates, not every park-open day.
- Premium Members get access to most events free with membership; some event upsells (tasting cards, ice skating) are separate.
- Seasonal events stack with Fast Lane coverage for the ride portion of your visit. Fast Lane does not cover event-specific programming like live shows or trick-or-treating stations.