Night of Lights 2026 returns to Germantown Avenue for its 9th year, running Friday, October 2 through Monday, October 5. The Chestnut Hill Conservancy’s free streetscape exhibition transforms the stretch between Willow Grove Avenue and Bethlehem Pike into a nightly outdoor gallery of projected archival images and illuminated architecture.
Opening night starts with a 6:30 PM gathering at the Conservancy’s headquarters, 8708 Germantown Avenue, ahead of the “Flip the Switch” ceremony at 7 PM. This year’s lighting design comes courtesy of BEAM in Glenside, illuminating the Conservancy’s historic building before the Avenue comes alive with live music, storytellers, vendors, and giveaways, alongside First Friday programming from the Chestnut Hill Business District.
What’s New for Night of Lights 2026
This year’s Night of Lights 2026 carries extra weight as part of the city’s official PHL250 programming, examining more than 250 years of Philadelphia history at the neighborhood level. The Conservancy secured a $20,000 grant from the Philadelphia City Fund to support the expansion, funding new installations and activations built around the semiquincentennial lens.
That grant is also funding two brand-new programs. On Sunday, October 4 at 10 AM, the Conservancy debuts its first free family book reading in partnership with Hilltop Books and Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library, featuring children’s author and photographer Doug Wechsler at Hilltop’s Bethlehem Pike location.
Wechsler, dubbed “The Darwin of Chestnut Hill” for his more than 25 children’s books, will read from three of his works and take questions from young nature lovers afterward.
On October 15, the Conservancy launches its first annual 10×10 History Jam, an open call for Northwest Philadelphia speakers to share stories connected to the area’s history and preservation.
Night of Lights 2026 Exhibition Lineup
Projected exhibitions stretch from the 8600 to 8100 blocks of Germantown Avenue, running nightly from 7 to 9 PM after opening night. Storytellers staff each projection site on opening night, with live music filling the gaps between locations as visitors walk the Avenue.
This year’s slideshows cover the built environment across 250-plus years of Chestnut Hill and Northwest Philadelphia architecture, the natural environment of the Wissahickon watershed produced with Friends of the Wissahickon, the landscape of Awbury Arboretum, the region’s public gardens including Wyck, and historic foodways produced with Historic Foodways of the Delaware Valley.
A returning and expanded exhibition traces George Washington and the Continental Army’s march along present-day Bethlehem Pike and Germantown Avenue ahead of the Battle of Germantown, presented by Liz and Andrew Jarvis. The march took place in the hours leading up to the October 4, 1777 battle, connecting pre-Revolutionary events to streets and landmarks still recognizable today.
Chrissy Clawson, the Conservancy’s director of programs and communications, is directing Night of Lights 2026 for her fourth year. “What I love about Night of Lights is that it celebrates not only history, but the people, buildings, and businesses that continue to shape this community,” Clawson said, pointing to the new children’s program and History Jam as particular highlights this year.
Chestnut Hill’s Night of Lights 2026 is free and made possible by a long list of supporters, led by Robertson’s Flowers and Events among the sponsors backing this year’s expanded programming, alongside Chubb, Bowman Properties, and the Chestnut Hill Business District.
Grab your walking shoes and a jacket for the fall air, and make your way down Germantown Avenue for opening night. Whether it’s your first Night of Lights or your ninth, there’s something new this year worth seeing in person.
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