When Delaware LIVE previewed last December's Holiday Celebration and Market at Glasgow Park, it called the event "a welcome alternative to high-volume holiday destinations," with a slower pace than the larger events and fewer of the long lines. The comparison it had in mind is close at hand. New Castle County runs two free holiday open houses each December, one week apart. The first is in Wilmington and the second is in Bear.
This year the Glasgow Park event runs Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. The tree and menorah lighting is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free. It's the closer of the County's two holiday evenings for anyone living off Route 40, and by the County's own numbers it's also the smaller one.
Two open houses, one week apart
The County puts both events in the same series and promotes them together. They are set up differently, though, and the differences tell you what kind of evening to expect.
| Rockwood Park & Museum | Glasgow Park | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 dates | Friday-Saturday, December 4-5 | Friday-Saturday, December 11-12 |
| Hours | 5 to 9 p.m. | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Friday lighting | 6 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. |
| 2025 attendance, per the County | 2,600 | 2,000 |
| Getting in, as of 2025 | Free park-and-ride shuttle from 501 Carr Road | Free on-site parking |
| Admission | Free | Free |
Glasgow Park runs one hour shorter each night. It drew about 600 fewer people in 2025, and visitors in 2025 parked on site without needing a shuttle. Rockwood marked its 25th year of the Holiday Open House in 2025, and that event centers on garden light displays and museum tours. Glasgow Park centers on a barn.
The two events don't overlap, so a household could attend both. For Bear, the second weekend is the one that happens down the road.
A farm, set up for an evening
The County describes Glasgow Park's holiday event as taking place on "a historic dairy farm," and last year's layout used the farm's buildings. Here is how the County described the 2025 edition:
- The barn held the market, with dozens of local artisans selling gifts and treats.
- The farmhouse was the route for the Toyland Train.
- The pavilion was where visitors took photos with Santa.
- The stage hosted performances by local school ensembles and choruses.
- Outdoors there were local food trucks and a holiday craft station.
Delaware LIVE's preview added costumed characters and said the holiday train "winds through the park." It also described the barn as decorated with greenery and soft white lights, with crowds gathering near it on Friday to watch the large tree light up.
That layout explains why the event works at its size. Everything sits around one barn and one farmhouse, so families can do the market, Santa, the train and the stage in a three-hour window without long walks between them. The County's 2026 schedule lists the same core pieces for this year: market vendors, live local performances, Santa visits, refreshments and crafts. Specifics such as the train route and parking come from the County's 2025 description, so check newcastlede.gov/events closer to the date for this year's details.
The County describes the Holiday Celebration and Market at Glasgow Park as being "in Bear," while the park's mailing address is 2275 Pulaski Highway, Newark, DE 19702. Both refer to the same park on Route 40.
Who ends up selling in the barn
The market in the barn is the main reason to attend if you're shopping for gifts, and the County's vendor application shows how it's put together. Vendor booth fees for the 2026 season are listed by category:
| Vendor type | 2026 fee |
|---|---|
| Food or ice cream | $100 |
| Handmade art | $50 |
| Nonprofit | $30 |
| Activity provider | No fee |
Applying does not guarantee a spot. The County says it notifies applicants at least one week before the event. The fee structure favors small sellers. A handmade-art booth costs half as much as a food booth, nonprofits pay less than that, and groups that bring an activity for children pay nothing. That fits the Delaware LIVE description of the market as handmade gifts, treats and seasonal crafts from local vendors, along with performances by school choirs and orchestras.
If you make something, or you belong to a school group or nonprofit that wants a table, the 2026 vendor application on the County's site has the details.
The drive there has changed since last December
For most of Bear, getting to Glasgow Park means driving on Route 40, and that stretch is still under construction. DelDOT's project to add a travel lane in each direction and multi-use paths on US 40 between Salem Church Road and Walther Road is in its construction phase. Road work began in July 2025, and DelDOT lists the end date as fall 2027.
The biggest change since last year's market is the new roundabout at Salem Church Road and Cornell Drive, which opened to traffic in early October 2026. For anyone who hasn't driven it yet, a dark December evening with holiday traffic is a tough first try. DelDOT's How to Use a Roundabout guidance for drivers comes down to a few steps:
- Slow to 10 to 15 mph as you approach.
- Yield to people in the crosswalk and to traffic already in the roundabout.
- Travel counterclockwise.
- Once you're inside, don't stop unless you need to avoid a collision.
Lane closures in a work zone this long change from week to week. DelDOT's US 40, Salem Church Road to Walther Road project page is the place to check before you leave. The widening project was planned for this exact situation. DelDOT says it comes from the Route 40 Corridor 20-Year Transportation Plan, which was adopted in June 2000 to handle growth along the corridor. Holiday traffic at a County park on Route 40 is part of that growth.
Choosing Friday or Saturday
The two nights have the same hours and mostly the same lineup, with one difference. The tree and menorah lighting happens only on Friday, at 6:30 p.m. In 2025, the crowd gathered near the barn for the lighting, according to Delaware LIVE. If the lighting is why you're going, plan for Friday and get there before 6:30. That leaves time to park and find a spot near the tree, and to get used to the roundabout if your route uses it.
Saturday has the same market, stage, Santa and crafts, without the lighting. If your goal is shopping in the barn, Saturday gives you the full 5 to 8 p.m. window with no single moment drawing everyone to one place.
Either night, the event ends at 8 p.m. That's an hour earlier than Rockwood's 9 p.m. close, so arriving late leaves less time.
If you've been following Bear's park calendar since our look at why Lums Pond turns into three different parks in the fall, Glasgow Park is the December event that comes after it, a few minutes up the road.
I've worked in real estate in Delaware for about four decades, and I've watched the Route 40 corridor change one road project and one park at a time. If you have questions about Bear, or about what the US 40 widening could mean for homes along the route, Kevin Burkhardt is glad to talk it through with you, before December 11 or after. Let's Connect.
