Eagan Holiday Events in November 2026: Your Weekend Guide

The Winter SKOLstice season at Viking Lakes runs about six weeks, from Friday, Nov. 20, 2026 through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. The window its biggest ticketed draw promotes most heavily is much shorter. The Magic of Lights ticket page points to November for its "Lowest Price of the Season" offer, and the show doesn't open until the 20th, which leaves 11 nights. One Saturday inside that window also has the Eagan Art House Winter Art Sale across town. If you live here and want the lights, the skating and the art sale without making three trips, the planning comes down to a few dates in late November.

Two events share one opening night, and only one costs money

Viking Lakes announced on Oct. 8 that Magic of Lights presented by SCHEELS returns to Winter SKOLstice this season. The event is more than a mile of drive-through displays put on by Family Entertainment Live. It's ticketed per vehicle. Winter SKOLstice around it is free, with outdoor skating, live music, trivia, bingo, local markets and vendors, and a heated Warming Haus that serves food and drinks.

Both start Friday, Nov. 20, and both run through Saturday, Jan. 2. In the same release, Viking Lakes general manager Kyle Chank said the team is "proud to continue growing Winter SKOLstice as an annual tradition at Viking Lakes." Minnesota Parent called last winter's run the "5th Annual," so the event is well established.

Since the free side and the paid side share a site and an opening date, you can do both in one visit. The ticket prices are what decide which visit that should be.

The November offer covers 11 nights

The Magic of Lights Minneapolis 2026 ticket page on Tixr lists two special offers. The first is a "Lowest Price of the Season!" ticket starting at $29. The second is a Santa Saver ticket starting at $22, good for one visit any time during the season. The page says to "Visit Magic of Lights in the month of November for the lowest price!"

Here's what the November window looks like on the calendar, using the published hours:

That works out to four late-closing weekend nights and seven nights that close at 9. Thanksgiving week falls right in the middle. The Thanksgiving-weekend Friday and Saturday give you the only other November chance at a 10 p.m. close.

You have two other ticket options. Gate tickets are sold only at the entrance while the show is open, and the page notes gate discounts Monday through Thursday only, without listing prices. All-season tickets are listed at $98 and $76, and one of them includes unlimited use plus a commemorative ornament. The $98 pass costs a little more than three visits at the $29 November starting price, or about four and a half at the $22 Santa Saver starting price. That makes the pass a fit for a household planning several drive-throughs between Thanksgiving and New Year's. For one visit, the Santa Saver lists the lower starting price and isn't tied to November.

Saturdays are the only day SKOLstice opens in daylight

The Winter SKOLstice media kit gives SKOLstice its own schedule, and it doesn't match the light show's:

• Sunday–Thursday: SKOLstice 5:30–9 p.m., Magic of Lights 5:30–9 p.m.
• Friday: SKOLstice 5:30–10 p.m., Magic of Lights 5:30–10 p.m.
• Saturday: SKOLstice 2–10 p.m., Magic of Lights 5:30–10 p.m.

Six days a week, the skating rink and the drive-through open at the same moment, after dark. On Saturday, SKOLstice opens three and a half hours before the lights. That's the only time of the week you can skate before sunset, settle into the Warming Haus, and then drive the light route without a gap or a second trip.

Viking Lakes says SKOLstice will have "new events and themes each weekend." The 2026 opening-weekend lineup and this season's skate rental price hadn't been posted when this was published. For reference, Minnesota Parent's guide to last season described a 3,500-square-foot rink with $5 skate rentals. Those are 2025–26 figures, so check winterskolstice.com before you head out.

November has two Saturdays inside the lights' run, Nov. 21 and Nov. 28. Only one of them also has the art sale.

Saturday, Nov. 21: all three events in one day

The Eagan Art House Winter Art Sale runs Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway. The City says the items are made by the people selling them. The event page doesn't list an admission price.

The day after the Viking Lakes opening night is the one date where the art sale, SKOLstice's 2 p.m. start and the November light-show offer all overlap. The published hours suggest an order:

1. 10 a.m.–early afternoon: Winter Art Sale at Eagan Community Center. If you're shopping for gifts, you're there before the December rush.
2. 2 p.m. onward: Winter SKOLstice opens at Viking Lakes. Skate while it's light out, then warm up in the Warming Haus.
3. 5:30 p.m.: Magic of Lights opens. Since it's a drive-through, you go from the Warming Haus to your car, not to another venue.
4. By 10 p.m.: Both SKOLstice and the lights close for the night.

The art sale ends at 4 p.m., so you can't make it up later in the day. If an afternoon rink session matters more than shopping, Nov. 28 gives you the same Viking Lakes order with no art sale beforehand.

The Wednesday before opening night

Two days before Viking Lakes opens, the City's Eagan Indoor Market sets up at the same Community Center that hosts the art sale. It's listed for Wednesday, Nov. 4 and Wednesday, Nov. 18, with no admission charge. Vendors bring local bread, baked goods, sauces, cheese, body products and artisan goods.

The posted hours aren't consistent. The City's event listing for the Indoor Market shows 3:30–6:30 p.m. in its event record and 4–7 p.m. in its description. The City's community events page also uses 3:30–6:30. If you're coming after work, a 4 p.m. arrival falls inside both windows. Arriving at 6:45 only works under one of them.

Put together, this creates a short holiday week at Central Parkway. The Nov. 18 market is on Wednesday, Viking Lakes opens Friday, and the art sale comes back to the same building on Saturday.

What carries on into December

After November, the calendar thins out but doesn't stop. The City lists three more Indoor Market Wednesdays, on Dec. 2, Dec. 16 and Dec. 30. Old Fashioned Holiday at Holz Farm Park is Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 3 p.m. As of mid-October, the City's 2026 community events page didn't list a community tree lighting. Last year's listing was for early December, so watch cityofeagan.com/events for this year's date.

Winter SKOLstice and Magic of Lights keep their regular hours through Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. If your Thanksgiving week fills up, the one-time Santa Saver ticket works on any night of the season.

Late November is a busy stretch in Eagan, and it's a good time to take stock before the new year. If a move, a sale or a question about your home's value is on your mind this season, Stephanie Cook and the Cooking Real Estate Team can talk it through with you, whether at the art sale or anywhere else. When you're ready to know where you stand before the new year, ask us for your free home valuation.