Grown-ups in Greensboro get to see the holiday lights before anyone else this week, and there's beer involved. The Greensboro Science Center is throwing its fourth annual Jingle Brew, a 21-and-up evening pairing local craft beer with an exclusive early look at this year's Winter Wonderlights display before it opens to the general public.
According to WFMY News 2, Jingle Brew is set for Friday, November 13, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Greensboro Science Center, giving ticket holders a chance to walk the illuminated grounds before the broader public gets access the following week. The Greensboro Science Center describes the night as a 21-plus evening of local beer, festive food and holiday lights, adding that guests will get an exclusive first look at the lights before they open to the public. Tickets for the evening are priced at $45, per WFMY News 2.
Jessica Gooch told the station that the event brings local breweries out of their taprooms and into the Science Center so guests can sip while taking in the lights, and that it functions as an adults-only date night complete with alcohol — a break from the family-oriented daytime visits the Science Center is known for.
Who's Pouring and What's Lighting Up
The lineup of participating beverage makers is heavy on familiar Triad names. The Science Center's event page lists SouthEnd Brewing Co., Pig Pounder Brewery, Oden Brewing Company, Forgotten Road Ales, Fiddlin' Fish Brewing Company, Southern Drift Brewing Company and Stardust Cellars as pouring for the night. Per WFMY News 2, SouthEnd Brewing Co. has participated in Jingle Brew since its very first year and will again serve its own signature Jingle Brew, a beer created specifically for the event.
Attendees will see handcrafted lantern displays fully illuminated after dark, and the Science Center has added several new lanterns to this year's holiday collection, the station reports. Jingle Brew is billed as the public's first after-hours opportunity to experience this year's Winter Wonderlights displays, which the Greensboro Science Center says features more than a million lights, handcrafted lanterns and the glowing tunnel that has become something of a signature feature.
What Comes After the Preview Night
Winter Wonderlights itself returns for its seventh year, and the Science Center is adding a few new touches beyond the lights themselves. The 2026 lineup includes Laser Holidays, a 15-minute holiday laser show staged inside the OmniSphere, according to the Science Center's listing. The Science Center has also scheduled its first-ever Winter Wonderlights Sensory Friendly Night for Tuesday, November 17, running 5:30 to 9 p.m., ahead of the display's full public run.
Exactly how often the lights will be open to the public afterward isn't entirely settled between sources. The Science Center's own listing describes Winter Wonderlights running on select dates from November 18, 2026, through January 3, 2027, from 5 to 10 p.m., while FOX8 WGHP reports the display will be open nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. across that same window. FOX8 also reports that general admission for Winter Wonderlights will range from $15 to $25 per person, with children ages 2 and younger admitted free.
For now, Jingle Brew offers the first crack at it all — a quieter, beer-in-hand version of the spectacle before the crowds of families arrive the following week.
