If your kids want a picture with Santa at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, save your Newport trip for one of the last two Sea of Lights weekends. Come the first weekend in December instead, and a bag of groceries can knock $5 off admission and help stock a Lincoln County food pantry. The lights are on for all eight evenings, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Your weekend at a glance
Sea of Lights
November 27 and 28; December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2026
Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road · Newport, Oregon
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28 | 5 to 8 p.m. both nights |
| Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5 | 5 to 8 p.m. both nights |
| Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12 | 5 to 8 p.m. both nights |
| Friday and Saturday, December 18 and 19 | 5 to 8 p.m. both nights |
Admission: $15; free with proof of aquarium membership or same-day admission. The aquarium lists no separate children’s event price.
A cookie and a choice of cocoa or cider are included. The café and coffee shop close for the event.
Find more festivals, concerts, markets, and community gatherings on our Oregon Events page.
Details checked November 2, 2026 against the current organizer information. Check the official event website before traveling.
Which weekend should you choose?
November 27 and 28 are opening nights. On December 4 and 5, the aquarium collects donations for Food Share of Lincoln County. The $5 discount brings a $15 event admission down to $10. Dry pantry staples travel well, but home gardeners have an option too: the aquarium welcomes produce from your garden. Leave frozen food, unlabeled items and backyard eggs at home.
Santa comes to the Gleason event room on December 11, 12, 18 and 19. A photo is free, but there’s no house photographer. Bring your phone or camera, and decide who’s taking the family picture before everyone gathers around Santa.
When a daytime ticket covers the evening
If you’re already spending the day at the aquarium, hang on to your proof of admission. It gets you into Sea of Lights that same night without a second ticket. Members also get in free with proof of membership. For anyone coming just for the evening, the aquarium’s event page has the ticket link and the food drive details.
You can still visit the galleries during Sea of Lights; the seabird aviary is the one habitat the aquarium says will close. If someone in your party uses a wheelchair or walker, the aquarium’s access guide is worth a look before you arrive. Its buildings are accessible, but stretches of outdoor gravel can be difficult with narrow wheels.
Plan dinner on either side of the visit. Your ticket covers a cookie and hot cocoa or cider, but neither the café nor the coffee shop serves meals that evening. The gift shop stays open until 8 p.m., when the lights go out for the night.
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