Merriweather Post Pavilion's official calendar lists one concert left in 2026. It is beabadoobee's The Powerlines Tour, with Wisp opening, on Saturday, October 10. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. After that the season is over. The ground around the pavilion stays busy, though. Over the next twelve weeks, the dated public events on the downtown calendars all fall within walking distance of the stage. The schedule moves from the lawn under the trees, to a splash-pad park a few blocks away, and then back to the pavilion itself, which reopens in late November as a holiday light show.
The last stop on that schedule has the best detail. The Symphony of Lights drive-through is closed on seven nights, and most of them belong to the smaller, themed walk-through events.
The park takes the weekends first
Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is run by the Inner Arbor Trust. The amphitheater there is the Chrysalis, which the Trust describes as an existing, operating facility. Starting a week after the final concert, the park's event list fills three weekends in a row:
- Hispanic Heritage Festival, Saturday, October 17, noon to 4:30 p.m.
- Columbia Orchestra Pops Concert at the Chrysalis, Sunday, October 18, 4 to 6 p.m.
- Downtown Columbia Maker Faire, Sunday, October 25, noon to 4 p.m.
- Howard County Pride Festival, Sunday, November 1, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October 17 and 18 make a full weekend on the same lawn. The festival runs Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday the Columbia Orchestra plays the outdoor stage that sits a short walk from the pavilion that just closed. One week later the Maker Faire takes the same Sunday afternoon slot.
The Pride date needs a quick check before you plan around it. The web address of the Inner Arbor Trust listing contains an October 11 date, but the event page itself and its calendar link both say Sunday, November 1, 2026. We are using the date printed on the page.
Then the evenings move to Color Burst Park
As November gets closer, the events start later in the day and move a few blocks into the Merriweather District. Color Burst Park, at 6221 Mango Tree Road, has a bandstand, a splash pad and community programming, with restaurants around its edges. Two dated evenings fall here:
- Spook-tacular, Friday, October 30, at 6 p.m.
- Holiday Tree Lighting, Friday, November 20, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Both are Friday nights. Spook-tacular falls the evening before Halloween, and the tree lighting comes a week before the pavilion's lights go on. The Merriweather District homepage teaser shows the tree lighting from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. That doesn't match the event's own page, which lists 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event page is the one to trust.
Because these events sit in the restaurant blocks, dinner is part of the evening. Two of the district's newer places still appear on its current listings. Gyusan Japanese BBQ, at 6200 Valencia Lane, opened on October 16, 2025, and serves tableside grilling, sushi and soba. Its district profile still lists dinner hours, and Gyusan's own site links to reservations for the Columbia location. Bark Social, at 5801 Merriweather Drive, opened on November 18, 2025, with off-leash dog areas, a bar and a café. It is still listed with current hours.
The district's dining list goes well beyond those two. It includes Busboys and Poets, Peter Chang, Mighty Quinn's BBQ, Clove & Cardamom, Dok Khao Thai Eatery, Akira Ramen & IzaKaya, Medium Rare, Union Jack's and The Charmery for ice cream afterward. That list is a roster from the district's operator and was posted in 2025, so check hours before a holiday-season evening.
The pavilion comes back as a light show
On Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, the Merriweather Symphony of Lights opens at the pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway. It runs through January 2, 2027. The basics:
- Drive-through admission is $25 per vehicle, and cash and credit cards are both accepted.
- Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 5 to 10 p.m. on weekends.
- Military Nights are Thursdays, with $10 off at the entrance with a valid military ID. The discount is only available at the gate.
- The line usually starts at the intersection of Broken Land Parkway and Hickory Ridge Road on most nights. The event site says the line can change quickly when traffic builds and asks drivers to follow Howard County police directions.
The schedule also lists the drive-through as closed on November 29 and 30 and December 1, 7, 10, 14 and 31. Four of those dates are the season's themed walk-through nights, when the cars are gone and visitors walk the route.
The closed nights are the specific ones
| Night | Date and time | Admission | The detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festive Families | Sunday, November 29, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free | Strollers, wagons and backpacks welcome |
| Tail Lights | Monday, December 7, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free | Leashed dogs only, festive costumes encouraged |
| Lit at the Lights | Thursday, December 10, 6 to 9 p.m. | $45 with sampling, or $15 walk-through only | Beer and cocktail samples |
| Jingle & Jam | Monday, December 14, 5 to 7 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 3 and under free | Toddler dance party featuring DJ Kopec |
Each walk-through night is built for one kind of visitor. Festive Families and Jingle & Jam are for children young enough to ride in a wagon. Tail Lights is for dogs. Lit at the Lights is for adults who want a drink along the way. Everyone else gets the drive-through on the remaining nights. The Tail Lights night also makes a handy pairing with Bark Social, the off-leash dog spot a short distance away in the district.
A few practical notes from the schedule. Lit at the Lights falls on a Thursday, and the drive-through is closed that night, so the Military Night discount isn't available that week. The drive-through page also lists another event, Midnight at 7, but its entry still shows a December 31, 2025 date. The event's separate walk-through page has some dates that don't match the drive-through schedule. Confirm any New Year's Eve plans directly with the event before you go.
Who the ticket money supports
The Symphony of Lights is no longer run by Howard County General Hospital. Its FAQ says ticket sales still benefit the hospital, along with the Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission. That commission has since renamed itself the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center, or MACC. Its mission is to grow arts, culture and community at Merriweather Post Pavilion and throughout Downtown Columbia. In the commission's 2022 annual report, most of its operating support came from Merriweather lease payments, along with grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and Howard County Government. So a $25 car ticket in December ends up supporting the arts group tied to the venue that hosted the concerts all summer.
A smaller schedule change across Little Patuxent Parkway
The Mall in Columbia sits at 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway. Its hours changed on October 1. It is now open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The Sunday closing time affects anyone planning to shop after the Pops concert, which ends at 6 p.m. on October 18. The mall also lists a Pink Bag Event at Center Court on Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., which ends shortly after the Hispanic Heritage Festival starts at Symphony Woods.
In May, the Baltimore Banner reported that Garage was expected to open at the mall in November. It also reported Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings for late 2026 or early 2027 and Pokiddo Indoor Playground for 2027. The Baltimore Business Journal reported that Fogo de Chão is coming as well. A July Banner report still listed both restaurants as planned, with no opening dates. If Garage opens on schedule, it will arrive the same month the tree lighting and the first Symphony of Lights nights bring crowds back downtown.
If you live near Symphony Woods and have been wondering what being this close to downtown Columbia means for your home, the team at Paul Wesley Real Estate is glad to talk it through with you. We can share what we know about Howard County and answer your questions in a relaxed, no-pressure conversation. Contact Us whenever it suits you.
