Reston Association brings Winterfest back to Brown's Chapel Park for a fourth year, from Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, with the park open from 5 to 9 p.m. each night. The half-mile Light Up the Park trail returns, along with the Enchanted Forest of sponsored trees, Grinch's Village, free photos with Santa, fire pits and the Vendor Village.
The one addition for 2026 is the Polar Play Park, with ice carvings and interactive ice games, weather permitting.
Tickets went on sale at noon on Thursday, Oct. 15, through the Winterfest page on reston.org. Admission is free for RA members and Recreation Passholders, but every guest needs a ticket, members and toddlers included.
Winterfest 2026 runs Dec. 3 to 5 at Brown's Chapel Park
- Dates: Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026
- Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. each night
- Location: Brown's Chapel Park, 1575 Brown's Chapel Road, Reston
- Host: Reston Association
RA announced the dates in an Oct. 14 news release, and Reston Patch covered the announcement the same day. RA held the first Winterfest in 2023.
The park takes its name from Brown's Chapel, a 50-seat chapel that RA rents for small gatherings. For three nights in December, the grounds around it become the trail.
Laura Kowalski, RA's director of recreation services, called Winterfest "one of Reston's favorite holiday traditions" in the announcement.
Tickets are free for RA members and $20 for nonmember adults
- RA members and Recreation Passholders: free
- Nonmember adults, 18 and older: $20
- Nonmember children, ages 3 to 17: $10
- Children 2 and younger: free
A nonmember family with two parents and two children between 3 and 17 pays $60 for the night.
RA requires registration for every attendee, members included, according to its Oct. 16 email to subscribers, so reserve a ticket for every person in your group, babies included. The Winterfest page links to RA's online registration system. For help with an account or a ticket, RA Member Services takes calls at 703-435-6530.
The new Polar Play Park depends on the weather
RA's plan for the Polar Play Park includes ice carvings and interactive ice games, and Patch's coverage adds other winter activities. RA lists the whole area as weather permitting.
Ice carvings need cold air to hold their shape. If the forecast for your night turns mild or wet, check the Winterfest page before you leave home.
The Light Up the Park trail covers half a mile
The Light Up the Park walk follows a half-mile route through Brown's Chapel Park, lit with thousands of holiday lights. Our photos from past years show snowflake arches over the path and long curtains of blue lights strung beside it.
Half a mile is a manageable distance for most families. Parents of toddlers may still want a stroller or a carrier for the walk back, when the air is colder and small children are tired.
The sun sets at about 4:47 p.m. in Reston on all three evenings, and full dark arrives by about 5:15. The park is close to dark when the event opens at 5 p.m., so the lights show well from the first hour.
The Enchanted Forest trees go to Reston families after Winterfest
The Enchanted Forest fills part of the park with fully decorated holiday trees, each sponsored by a local business, community group or family. After the event, RA donates the trees to families in need across Reston. Friends of Reston makes the Enchanted Forest possible.
We have decorated a Greater Reston Living tree in past years, and walking the rows shows which local businesses and families took part this year.
RA takes tree sponsors through its Sponsor a Tree form. Businesses can review the other options in the 2026 sponsorship packet.
Santa photos are free, and Grinch's Village has its own photo spots
RA lists free photo opportunities with Santa Claus as part of admission. Grinch's Village, a Grinch-themed area of the park, adds family activities and more places to stop for a photo.
The light displays along the route make backdrops of their own. The Enchanted Forest and the snowflake arches both work for a holiday card picture.
Vendor Village, fire pits and food trucks round out the night
The Vendor Village brings local sellers with gifts and holiday items, which puts a little holiday shopping inside the same ticket. Local makers who want a booth can apply through RA's 2026 vendor application.
RA also sets up fire pits with marshmallows for roasting, along with seasonal treats, food trucks and refreshments. Families who come straight from work or school can eat dinner at the park.
RA has not yet posted the 2026 parking and shuttle plan
As of Oct. 16, RA had not published 2026 parking, shuttle or accessible parking details.
Last year's event ran on free shuttles from nearby lots rather than general parking at the park. Look for the 2026 shuttle locations and times on the Winterfest page before you drive over. We will add them to this guide once RA posts them.
Brown's Chapel Park is a five-minute walk from Lake Anne Plaza
Brown's Chapel Park sits in the Lake Anne area of North Reston, about a quarter mile north of Lake Anne Plaza, the first of Reston's village centers. The walk from the plaza to the park takes about five minutes.
For households around Lake Anne, Winterfest is a walk rather than a drive, and the shuttle question never comes up. For anyone weighing a move to Reston, the Lake Anne area puts a village center, the lake and Winterfest within a few minutes of home on foot.
Lake Anne Plaza and Reston Town Center make easy second stops
- Lake Anne Plaza: Restaurants and cafes sit around the plaza, five minutes on foot from the park, which makes an early dinner before Winterfest easy to arrange. The Lake Anne Plaza site lists current shops and dining.
- Reston Town Center: The Reston Town Center ice rink opens Nov. 6, 2026, and runs through March 14, 2027, weather permitting, so the season is well underway by the time Winterfest opens.
- The Reston Holiday Parade: Our guide to the Reston Holiday Parade at Reston Town Center covers another of the season's local traditions.
Reserve tickets for everyone, dress warmly and check the forecast
- Get a ticket for every person. Members, passholders and children 2 and younger get in free, but each one still needs a ticket.
- Dress for a cold night. RA's announcement advises guests to dress warmly, and the event runs entirely after sunset. Hats, gloves and warm socks help on a half-mile walk.
- Check the weather and the Winterfest page on the day you go. The Polar Play Park depends on the weather, and RA had not posted a rain or cancellation policy as of mid-October.
- Walk over if you live nearby. The park is about five minutes on foot from Lake Anne Plaza, and walking avoids the shuttle lots altogether.
- Budget time beyond the trail. Plan for the Vendor Village, fire pits and food trucks as well as the light walk.
Three nights, half a mile of lights and a park five minutes from Lake Anne Plaza add up to an easy start to December in Reston. If you are thinking about a move to Reston or Herndon and want a feel for neighborhoods like Lake Anne, reach out to us.
See something missing or wrong? Email us at [email protected] and we will check it and update the post.
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