At a glance
- When
- Sunday 29 November 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027; the garden stays lit until 10:30pm every night
- Opening night
- Sunday 29 November from 5pm: Christmas markets, food trucks, and a visit from Santa and Mrs Claus
- Where
- Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Rose Garden, Roxborough Park Road, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153, next to Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre
- Cost
- Free
- Who it’s for
- Families and anyone in Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Kellyville or Winston Hills who wants a free evening out; the paths suit wheelchairs and prams
- What to do now
- Put Sunday 29 November in the diary, and decide whether you want the markets on opening night or a quieter visit later in December
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the council’s event page and its rose garden page
- Not yet confirmed
- Parking arrangements, public transport advice, the opening night running order and the market stall list; the council has not published them
Illuminate the Hills turns the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Rose Garden in Baulkham Hills into a free Christmas light display from Sunday 29 November 2026 until Saturday 2 January 2027, with opening night markets from 5pm and the lights on until 10:30pm every night.
What is Illuminate the Hills?
It is a Christmas event run by The Hills Shire Council. According to the council’s event page, the garden will be “lit with thousands of twinkling fairy lights and lined with magnificent Christmas installations”. The council tags it as a community event for kids and families, and lists the cost as free.
The council describes the garden as the largest of its kind in NSW, with over 4,000 roses from 80 different species. That is the figure on the event page. The council’s separate park page says the garden has more than 100 varieties, so the two pages count the roses differently.
What is on, and when?
| Date | What the council says |
|---|---|
| Sunday 29 November 2026, from 5pm | Illuminate the Hills Christmas Markets (opening night): boutique market stalls, food trucks and a special visit from Santa and Mrs Claus |
| Every night from Sunday 29 November 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027 | The rose garden stays lit up until 10:30pm |
The council gives no finish time for the opening night markets. It gives no list of stalls or food trucks either. The only fixed times are the 5pm start on the first night and the 10:30pm switch-off each night.
What did Illuminate the Hills look like in 2023?
The council has not described the 2026 installations beyond “magnificent Christmas installations”, so the most recent detail we can check is its media release from 1 November 2023. That year the garden had twinkling lights, a nativity scene and a walk-through bauble. Opening night 2023 started at 7pm on Thursday 30 November, with the Mayor switching the lights on at 7:30pm, and the council said visitors might see Santa, Mrs Claus, Rudolph and carollers.
That is the 2023 line-up, not a promise for 2026. In 2026 the opening night starts earlier, at 5pm, and the council’s page mentions markets, food trucks, Santa and Mrs Claus but not carollers or a switch-on time. Treat the 2023 details as a guide to the style of the event only.
Is the garden easy to get around?
The event page says the garden has concrete pathways, so it is accessible for wheelchairs and prams. The council’s park page lists these facilities for the garden: features, parking, a cafe, accessible access and water fountains. It also says visitors can get coffee and other refreshments at Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre, which is nearby.
The park page describes four rock-walled terraces split by a flight of steps in Cowra Slate, and a circular rotunda with climbing scented roses. The council says an extensive refurbishment of the garden was completed in 2023.
Where do I park, and how do I get there?
The council has not published parking or transport advice for Illuminate the Hills 2026. The park page lists “Parking” among the garden’s facilities, but it gives no number of spaces, no location of car parks and no rules. We are not going to guess where cars can go on opening night.
What the council does confirm is the address: Roxborough Park Road, Baulkham Hills 2153, next to Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre. Use that address in the Transport for NSW trip planner to see current bus options for the day you go. For anything about the event, the council’s contact number on the event page is 02 9843 0555.
Will I have the garden to myself?
No. The council says the rose garden is open to the public but is not a bookable space, so you will not have exclusive use of it. Its park page also notes that volunteers help maintain the roses every Wednesday from 9am to 12pm, and that everyone is welcome with no experience necessary.
Which roses can I see?
The park page says the garden was established in 1972 and covers over 8,000 square metres. It was renamed in 2023 in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. Some of the special roses it names are the Australian Bi-Centennial Rose, The Hills Shire Council Rose and the Olympic Gold Rose. The council says many of the roses were donated by local nurseries and rose societies and are placed for maximum colour contrast.
The roses in these photographs were taken in daylight in October 2024. The council’s event page promises lights and installations, not a rose show.
What should I do before I go?
- Check the council’s event page again in the last week of November for parking, transport and the opening night details
- If you want Santa and the markets, plan for Sunday 29 November from 5pm
- If you want fewer crowds, any other night up to Saturday 2 January works, and the lights stay on until 10:30pm
- The council says the garden has concrete pathways, accessible for wheelchairs and prams
Sources
- The Hills Shire Council: Illuminate the Hills, read 8 November 2026
- The Hills Shire Council: Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Rose Garden, AH Whaling Memorial Reserve, read 8 November 2026
- The Hills Shire Council: See the Rose Garden in a New Light at Illuminate The Hills 2023, published 1 November 2023
- Transport for NSW trip planner
Featured image: Rosa ‘Candy Stripe’ at the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Rose Garden, photographed in daylight in October 2024 (photo: Sminthopsis84 / CC0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with The Hills Shire Council. Dates, times and arrangements can change; check the council’s event page before you go.