NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park 2026

---

NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park returns to shine a light on art and nature. 

(East Otto, NY) NIGHT LIGHTS at Griffis Sculpture Park returns for its 14th consecutive autumn on Friday, September 18th. During NIGHT LIGHTS, a portion of the sculpture park will be illuminated in colorful theatrical lighting, sound and artistic performances. It’s a captivating journey where lights, music, sculptures, and the park’s natural beauty come together, thus inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a magical celebration of art and nature.

This year’s NIGHT LIGHTS show will feature several new immersive lighting schemes and installations. In addition to the illuminated sculptures, artistic performances and visual artists will be featured each evening. Local musicians, painters, storytellers, LED hoopers, instrumentalists, poets and more will be displaying their talents throughout the NIGHT LIGHTS trail system. The artist’s appearances are made possible through a grant from Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation - Visual Arts Alliance Fund. 

“NIGHT LIGHTS has become an autumn tradition here in Western New York,” said Nila Griffis Lampman, executive director of the Griffis Sculpture Park. “We have so many returning visitors attend because it provides them with another opportunity to view the lights and explore. It’s also a fun way to support our sculpture park.”

NIGHT LIGHTS blends creative lighting, sculpture, sound, and nature to deliver an unforgettable outdoor experience. At NIGHT LIGHTS, guests are able to venture on an unguided walk through a portion of the Mill Valley Road site of the sculpture park, where the trails and sculptures will interact with creative lighting – creating a truly unique experience. The walk is about .7 miles and is on an up-and-back nature trail that goes through forests and fields. Some of the Griffis Sculpture Park’s favorite sculptures, such as the Praying Mantis, The Bathers, The Mushrooms and more are bathed in light. 

Guests are encouraged to dress for outdoor conditions and bring flashlights for a few darker sections of the trail. NIGHT LIGHTS will close on evenings of excessive rain. Weather announcements are made on the sculpture park’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 

NIGHT LIGHTS occurs on 15 evenings, spread out over five weeks. The final evening is Saturday, October 17, 2025. The event dates are: 

Fri. Sept. 18  - Sat. Sept. 19, 2026

Thurs. Sept. 24 - Sat. Sept. 26, 2026

Thurs. Oct. 1 - Sat. Oct. 3, 2026

Thurs. Oct. 8 - Sun. Oct. 11, 2026

Thurs. Oct. 15  - Sat. Oct. 17.2026

Admission will be $15 adults, $9 children 12 to 7, and free for six and under. Ticket info can be found at EventBrite.com

Over 250 sculptures reside at the 300-acre Griffis Sculpture Park, making it the United States largest sculpture park. The park is owned and operated by the Ashford Hollow Foundation, which also owns the Essex Arts Center in Buffalo, NY. The mission of the Ashford Hollow Foundation is to promote the visual and performing arts as well as construct adynamic relationship between the arts and education in Western New York to better its young people and the greater community.