On Brook Cove Road outside Walnut Cove, a working farm that spent the fall running a corn maze is getting ready for Christmas. Armstrong Artisan Farm and Miller Farms open their 2026 Christmas Light Spectacular on Friday, Nov. 20. Opening night runs from 4 to 10 p.m. at 1499 Brook Cove Road, and the same hours repeat on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The farm describes this year's show as bigger than last year's. It lists new lights, new scenes and an expanded light display synced to Christmas music. If you live in Gentry Farm, this one sits on the Stokes County side of your map. The drive heads east into the county instead of south to Clemmons. And once you know what the ticket covers, the evening looks less like a quick look at the lights and more like dinner, a hayride and bedtime all in one place.
What the ticket covers on Brook Cove Road
The ticket page gives the season as Nov. 20 through Dec. 26, 2026. It says each ticket covers the light show, all the farm's games and activities, and a hayride through the lights and music. Everyone age 3 and up needs a ticket. On its website, the farm says 2026 admission starts at $15 per ticket and includes more than 30 attractions and activities.
The hayride is the centerpiece. The farm also says its walk-through and drive-through displays are larger this year. Most of what's included happens off the hay wagon, though, and that's why the evening stretches out:
| Included with admission | Costs extra |
|---|---|
| Hayride with Christmas lights synced to music | Christmas trees |
| Large light and music display | Specialty food and vendor items |
| Christmas tree selection area | Horse- or tractor-drawn carriage rides, when sold as add-ons |
| Petting zoo and pony rides | |
| Bounce house, jumping pillow and barrel racer slides | |
| Duck race, corn pit and apple cannons | |
| Steer roping, cornhole, horseshoes and redneck basketball | |
| Fire pits and seating areas | |
| Pictures with Santa on select dates |
The list explains why $15 per person goes further here than a typical drive-through display. A family of four spends $60 at the gate before cocoa. That buys a hayride plus a petting zoo, pony rides and a fire pit to come back to between rounds of apple cannons. A drive-through you watch from the car is over in one loop. This one fills an evening if you let it.
Food is part of that evening. The farm says concessions are always available, with hot cocoa, seasonal treats and snacks, and food vendors on select days. It also notes that what's on offer can change from night to night. Food trucks and local vendors are on the event lineup as well. If dinner is part of the plan, give yourself a backup in case your night is a lighter food night.
Picking your night
The farm is open Fridays and Saturdays, with select extra dates through Christmas. Within that schedule, a few nights suit different households:
- Opening weekend, Nov. 20 and 21. These are the two nights with posted hours, 4 to 10 p.m. They fall the weekend before Thanksgiving, so you see the new 2026 scenes before the holiday rush.
- Thursdays in December. The farm lists Thursday-night hayrides with Santa in December. That's a good fit if you're trying to work a Santa visit around a weekend of sports and birthday parties.
- The week before Christmas. The farm names this stretch and weekends as the busiest. It strongly recommends buying tickets online ahead of time to lock in your date and arrival time.
Tickets are sold online and at the gate, first-come, first-served. Buying online also gets you through the entry line faster. With a hayride involved, the online ticket buys you more than a spot in line. If the wagon fills for a given time, families who walked up wait for the next one.
Dressing for an open wagon in December
An outdoor hayride after dark in late November feels different from the same farm on a sunny October afternoon. The farm suggests warm layers, comfortable shoes for walking between activities, and blankets for the hayride. Gloves, hats and a stroller for small children are on its optional list. Bring a card or cash for cocoa, food and a tree if you plan to buy one.
Two more planning notes. Parking is free. Pets stay home, because the farm allows only registered service animals to protect its animals and visitors. If a Gentry Farm evening usually includes the dog, plan around that before you leave.
The tree selection area means you can bring home the season's centerpiece on the same trip. Fresh Christmas trees are on the event lineup, and they're priced separately from admission. If you drive an SUV or pickup with tie-downs, you can light the house and the tree in one evening.
Saturday, Dec. 5, a full Stokes County day
One Saturday in December lines up so you can spend the whole day east of King, from midday into the evening.
King's Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. The same afternoon, The Stokes News community calendar lists Christmas in the Cove and the annual tree lighting at Fowler Park in Walnut Cove from 4 to 8 p.m. It promises free pictures with Santa, hot chocolate, s'mores, vendors, food trucks, and music and dancing with DJ Bone.
Here's how the day stacks up:
- 12:30 p.m. King's street closures begin. They cover East School Street, East Dalton Road between East School Street and Main Street, and Main Street between Dalton Road and Jefferson Church Road.
- 1 p.m. The King Christmas Parade steps off.
- 4 p.m. Downtown King's closures lift, and Christmas in the Cove opens at Fowler Park.
- After dark. Dec. 5 is a Saturday, one of the farm's regular open nights, so the Light Spectacular on Brook Cove Road can close out the day. Check the ticket page for that date before you go.
If you're coming from Gentry Farm, the closure map is the part to remember. Main Street and East Dalton Road are the blocks that close. Leave before 12:30 or park somewhere you can walk out from afterward. Then the afternoon can move east toward Walnut Cove without waiting on a parade route to reopen.
Two closer stops for the other weekends
You won't drive to Walnut Cove every weekend in December, and two other stops sit closer to home.
Stokes County's tourism site lists Brady's Country Christmas at 1776 Bradley Road in Pinnacle as a drive-through and walk-up light display. It suits a weeknight when a full farm evening is too much.
Back in King, First Baptist at 122 Kirby Road is hosting a live Nativity from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly, Dec. 11 through Dec. 13. The Stokes News reports the event will include a hospitality tent with free cookies and water.
If you're planning holiday weekends around Gentry Farm and want local help with anything else on your calendar this season, the Banner Team knows these roads well. Call or message the Banner Team. Let's talk about your next move.
