Last December, the trees around Town Square Park were sponsored by local businesses, families and organizations. The City billed the Festival of Trees as a way to give back to families in need. Business vendors' trees could go to a local family or join the Holiday Tree Trail, which was part of the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber's Shop Small this Season campaign. This December, the display at Town Square comes from residents' own kitchen tables. Each piece cost $20, and each one goes home with the person who decorated it once the lights are off.
The City of Murrieta has renamed its biggest holiday night the Tree Lighting & Festival of Wreaths. It runs Saturday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Town Square Park & Amphitheater, 11 Town Square, and the City's annual tree lighting is at 6 p.m. The main display is now a set of wreaths decorated by the community, and any Murrieta household can add one.
What Changed Between Last December and This One
The venue is the same and the evening is about the same length. What changed is where the display comes from.
| Festival of Trees 2025 | Festival of Wreaths 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| Hours | 5 to 8 p.m. | 5 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Centerpiece display | Trees sponsored by businesses, families and organizations | Wreaths decorated by the community |
| Where the display goes afterward | A local family or the Holiday Tree Trail | Home with the person who decorated it |
| Extras listed | Dessert Lane, Santa photos, entertainment | Live music, local vendors, Santa photos |
Sponsoring a tree was mostly something businesses and organizations did. The wreath sign-up is open to "community members, families, businesses, and organizations," in that order, so a family on a cul-de-sac and a storefront on Washington Avenue sign up the same way and display side by side.
The Calendar From Sign-Up to Stand
Entering a wreath takes four dates, and the first one comes up fast. Everything runs through the City's wreath participant application on Eventeny, and the wreath itself costs $20.
- Friday, Nov. 13: Applications close for food vendors and business vendors at the festival. The booth fee is $100, and vendors can also choose to decorate and display a wreath.
- Monday, Nov. 23, 11:45 p.m. Pacific: Wreath sign-ups close. That's the Monday of Thanksgiving week, so it's easy to miss during holiday travel.
- Monday, Nov. 30: Wreath pickup starts. You can decorate at home over that week, or decorate on the day of the event.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Bring the finished wreath to Town Square, where it goes on a stand the City provides. Take it home after the event.
Pickup on Nov. 30 leaves five evenings before the festival. That's enough time for one weeknight craft session with the kids and a second night to fix whatever fell off.
The Rules Come From Where the Wreath Will Hang
The City's decorating guidelines are short, and most of them follow from one fact: your wreath will travel to Town Square and sit outside on a stand for the evening.
- Keep decorations family-friendly.
- Use decorations that can survive the trip and an outdoor display.
- Attach everything securely.
- Use battery-operated lights only.
- Bring your own materials, since participants supply their own decorations.
- Holiday themes, colors, handmade pieces and personal touches are all welcome.
The battery rule matters most if you want your wreath to show up after dark. The tree goes on at 6 p.m. and the festival runs until 7:30, so about half the display time is at night. A string of battery lights is what keeps a wreath visible next to the City's tree. Once the event ends, the City's application invites you to take the wreath home and enjoy it for the rest of the holiday season.
Dec. 5 Starts at Town Square in the Morning
If you're bringing a wreath that Saturday, you can make a whole day of it, because the City's morning event is at the same park. Donuts with Santa runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Town Square Park & Amphitheater. Free donuts go to the first 500 children, and each child brings one non-perishable food or pet item to get in. The City's listing also includes pet adoptions from Animal Friends of the Valleys.
Some of last year's give-back spirit carries over through that morning. Last year, some trees could go to a local family after the evening event. This year, the food and pet donations come in before lunch.
Here is how the day lines up within city limits:
- 9 to 10:30 a.m.: Donuts with Santa, Town Square Park & Amphitheater, 11 Town Square
- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The Big Red Christmas Market, Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, 39405 Murrieta Hot Springs Road
- 5 to 7:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting & Festival of Wreaths, back at Town Square, with the tree lit at 6 p.m.
The Big Red Christmas Market is listed for Dec. 4 through 6 at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort and calls itself the largest indoor Christmas market in the Temecula Valley. Saturday's hours listed are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with real snow and sledding, a Santa visit, a hot cocoa lounge, live holiday entertainment and kids' activities. Friday's session runs 4 to 9 p.m. with Santa photos and a DJ. Sunday runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and adds a Kids Market alongside the snow.
The market closes at 4 p.m. and the festival opens at 5. That leaves an hour to go home, grab the wreath and drive back across town. If you decorated it ahead of time, it can ride along all day.
The Thursdays Around the Festival
Downtown Murrieta's regular rhythm keeps going through the season. The City calendar lists Murrieta Market Nights on Thursday, Nov. 19; Thursday, Dec. 3; and Thursday, Dec. 17, each from 5 to 9 p.m. Murrieta Market Nights sets up on Washington Avenue between B and C Streets, including part of Juniper Street.
The Dec. 3 market is two days before the festival, and it's a good place to shop for wreath supplies, since the market features local vendors and small businesses. In May, the Press-Enterprise reported that the market draws nearly 7,000 visitors per event and has reached capacity, citing a city report. The same story said the City Council unanimously approved a 150-foot expansion south on Washington Avenue, at a cost of nearly $134,000 for eight barriers and a trailer. For now, plan on the usual blocks.
The Murrieta Public Library also has two holiday-themed listings around the festival. Crafternoons: Christmas Tree is on the calendar for Thursday, Nov. 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, the library at 8 Town Square offers a Spice Club Kit: Featuring Ginger for adults 18 and older, available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library sits on the same Town Square as the festival, so if you pick up the ginger kit on Dec. 1, you'll be back at that park four days later with your wreath.
Last year, the Festival of Trees ran from 5 to 8 p.m. This year's festival ends at 7:30, and the City's December calendar puts the whole Town Square day on one Saturday, from donuts at 9 a.m. to the tree at 6 p.m. Sign-ups close Nov. 23, and $20 gets your wreath onto a City-provided stand at Town Square.
If decorating a wreath has you thinking about the rest of the house, we're happy to help. At Meeker Realty Group, we follow Murrieta's calendar as closely as its market. Before you bring your wreath home from Town Square, find out what your home is worth today. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
