November is the month home evening moves indoors whether you planned it or not. Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and the first Monday after it gets dark at 5:51 p.m. in Provo. The good news is that November also has five Mondays and more free, ready-made evenings on BYU's campus than any other month we checked. Here is each Monday in order, with what's on and what it costs, checked October 20, 2026.
The five Mondays: November 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
| Monday | Sunset in Provo | Dark (end of civil twilight) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2 | 5:24 p.m. | 5:51 p.m. |
| Nov. 9 | 5:17 p.m. | 5:44 p.m. |
| Nov. 16 | 5:11 p.m. | 5:38 p.m. |
| Nov. 23 | 5:06 p.m. | 5:34 p.m. |
| Nov. 30 | 5:03 p.m. | 5:32 p.m. |
Times are from Sunrise-Sunset.org's data for Provo. For comparison, sunset on Monday, October 26 was 6:32 p.m. That's the hour you lose.
Monday, November 2: the first dark one
A free game night in a BYU gallery. The Education in Zion Gallery sits at the top of the spiral staircase in BYU's Joseph F. Smith Building. Its November listings on the BYU calendar describe a 20-minute group activity called Spy Masters, run at 7 and again at 7:30 p.m., with lemon cookies, free, and "families and FHE groups welcome." Twenty minutes is about right for children who have just lost an hour of daylight. BYU parking runs by posted lot designations; our BYU Museum of Art guide has the general advice for visitors.
Or a basketball game in Orem. Utah Valley University's men's team hosts Western Colorado at the UCCU Center at 6 p.m., according to UVU's schedule. UVU's ticket page says children 5 and under get in free with a paying adult if they sit on a lap, UVU students can reserve up to five free single-game tickets for regular-season home games with their student ID, and youth 6 to 17 get $2 off when tickets are bought at the box office on game day. A 6 p.m. tip-off ends early enough for a school night.
Reset the routine. If your family usually holds home evening after a park or a walk, this is the night to say out loud that the outdoor season is over until March and choose the indoor version. Our Monday problem guide lists what's open on Monday nights and what isn't.
Monday, November 9: gallery bingo, and one temple closes
Two more free programs at the Education in Zion Gallery. BYU's calendar lists both Gallery Bingo and Mad Libs as FHE programs on November 9, at 7 and 7:30 p.m., free, families welcome.
The Mount Timpanogos Temple closes for two and a half weeks. The Church's page for the temple in American Fork lists it closed from November 9 through November 26, 2026. Most families visit temple grounds, not buildings, on a Monday evening, but if your plan includes the building, pick another temple this month. Our temple grounds guide covers the others and which buildings close on Mondays.
A Veterans Day lesson, two days early. Veterans Day, November 11, is a legal holiday under Utah Code 63G-1-301, but it falls on a Wednesday in 2026 and it isn't on Provo City School District's list of no-school days. The Monday before is the family's chance to mark it: call or video-chat a relative who served, and let the children prepare three questions in advance.
Monday, November 16: pioneer games, and Luminaria's value night
Pioneer Games at the Education in Zion Gallery. The last of the gallery's November Monday programs, at 7 and 7:30 p.m., free, with chocolate mint truffles. This listing adds a line the others don't: "Call 801-422-6519 for reservations."
Luminaria's cheapest Monday. Thanksgiving Point's walk-through light show in Lehi opens November 12 and runs to January 9, Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays, according to its event page. On the 2026 pricing calendar, November 16 is the only Monday in November marked as a value night: $24 for adults and $17 for children at regular prices, against $26 and $19 on the standard nights that follow. Entry is by 15-minute time slot from 4 to 9 p.m. that week. A family of four still spends more than $80, so this is a once-a-season evening, not a weekly one. Our Luminaria guide has the full planning detail.
Monday, November 23: Thanksgiving week
A gratitude home evening that ends in an errand. This is the natural week for it, and Provo City School District's 2026-27 calendar gives children Wednesday through Friday off (a comp day on the 25th, then Thanksgiving on the 26th and the 27th). Hold the lesson Monday, assemble something Monday night, and deliver it Wednesday when everyone is home. Our FHE service guide lists the Provo organizations with posted needs lists and drop-off hours, and the catch that most of their volunteer shifts aren't on Mondays.
Luminaria on a standard night. November 23 is priced as a standard night ($26 adults, $19 children). From Wednesday, November 25 through that Saturday, the calendar switches to premium pricing, so Monday is the cheaper night of Thanksgiving week.
For the holiday itself, our Thanksgiving in Utah Valley guide covers the turkey trots, the closures and the week day by day.
Monday, November 30: the Monday after
The Christmas season starts on a Monday at the Ruth. The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater in Pleasant Grove lists A Christmas Carol opening November 30 and running to December 26, 2026, and Disney's Frozen opening a week earlier, on November 23, according to the theater's season page. These are ticketed, and they're the kind of thing families book for December, so November 30 is a sensible night to decide as a family whether you're going and which date.
A planning council for December. The Church's General Handbook includes family councils among the things home evening may be. The Monday after Thanksgiving is the night to put December on the calendar: the First Presidency's Christmas devotional is Sunday, December 6, at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, according to the Church's newsroom listing, and the Church has asked wards to hold a one-hour sacrament meeting focused on the Savior's birth on December 20 (2026 broadcast calendar). Our December FHE guide picks up from there.
Two November conversations that aren't outings
Tithing declaration. The Church's General Handbook, section 34.3.1.2, says the bishop meets with each member "during the last few months of each year" for tithing declaration, and that "whenever possible, all members of a family, including children, should attend together." The Church's 2027 calendar lists tithing declaration from September through December. A short home evening beforehand, explaining what the appointment is and letting the children ask questions, makes the five minutes in the bishop's office less mysterious for them.
The Christmas tree question. If your family cuts its own tree on national forest land, start planning now, because the nearest areas aren't in Utah County. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest permit page lists cutting areas on the Heber-Kamas, Evanston-Mountain View, Salt Lake (Stansbury Mountains), Logan and Ogden districts, with in-person permit sales starting November 9, 2026. Our Christmas tree guide compares that trip with the farms closer to home.
Coats, not picnics
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Provo BYU station give November an average high of 53.2 degrees, an average low of 31.6, and 4.6 inches of snow. That's the first month of the year with real snow in the normals, and the average low is below freezing. A walk after dinner is still possible on a clear night with coats; a picnic isn't.
For young YSA members, the Church's Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults is Sunday, November 1, at 6 p.m., per the 2026 broadcast calendar, which makes it the obvious topic for a November 2 YSA home evening. Our YSA and roommate FHE guide has ideas for running one in an apartment.
Related Guides
- Family Home Evening in Utah Valley: 52 Ideas for the Year
- December Family Home Evening Ideas in Utah Valley
- FHE at the Temple Grounds
- FHE Service Ideas Around Provo
- FHE With Toddlers in Utah Valley
- Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point
- Thanksgiving in Utah Valley
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Monday dates in November 2026?
Why does family home evening feel so different in early November?
Is there a free family home evening program in Provo in November?
What is the cheapest Monday to go to Luminaria in November 2026?
Is the Mount Timpanogos Temple open in November 2026?
Are Provo schools out for Thanksgiving week?
What is tithing declaration, and why would it come up at home evening?
How cold is Provo in November?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- 2026-2027 School Year Calendar, Provo City School District. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Christmas Tree Permit, Recreation.gov (USDA Forest Service). Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Code 63G-1-301, Legal holidays, Utah State Legislature. Checked October 20, 2026.
- BYU Calendar (events API listings: Education in Zion Gallery FHE programs, concerts, Bean Museum Easter Family Night), Brigham Young University. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Valley University men's basketball schedule 2026-27, UVU Athletics. Checked October 20, 2026.
- UVU Athletics tickets, UVU Athletics. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple: details and closures, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Thanksgiving Point: Luminaria, Thanksgiving Point. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Luminaria 2026 pricing calendar (PDF), Thanksgiving Point. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater: Season shows, Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater. Checked October 20, 2026.
- First Presidency's Christmas Devotional 2026, Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- 2026 Churchwide broadcast events, Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- General Handbook 34.3.1.2, Tithing Declaration, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Church announces dates for 2027 broadcasts and events, Church News. Checked October 20, 2026.
- General Handbook 2.2.4, Home Evening, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Sunrise and sunset times for Provo, Utah (API, America/Denver), Sunrise-Sunset.org. Checked October 20, 2026.
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Provo BYU station (USC00427064), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Checked October 20, 2026.
