The official City of Temecula Christmas tree at the Duck Pond lights up on Monday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. By then, Promenade Temecula will have had its tree lit for more than three weeks. At least three wineries will have lit theirs over the Thanksgiving weekend just before it.
The order is set by the calendar. Promenade picks an early Saturday in November. The wineries take Thanksgiving weekend. The City and Old Town follow Thanksgiving's date, and in 2026 that falls on Nov. 26, a day earlier than last year. Most of the official holiday schedule moves back by the same day.
Thanksgiving Came Early, So the City Did Too
In 2025 the City lit the Duck Pond tree on Monday, Dec. 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This year it's Monday, Nov. 30, with the same hours and the same location. Both years, it lands on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Other events tied to that weekend moved the same way.
| Event | 2025 date | 2026 date |
|---|---|---|
| Santa's Arrival at Pennypickle's Workshop, Old Town | Fri., Nov. 28 | Fri., Nov. 27 |
| Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, The Cave at Oak Mountain Winery | Sat., Nov. 29 | Sat., Nov. 28 |
| City Christmas Tree Lighting, Duck Pond | Mon., Dec. 1 | Mon., Nov. 30 |
| Santa's Electric Light Parade, Old Town | Fri., Dec. 5 | Fri., Dec. 4 |
The parade still starts at 7 p.m. on a Friday. It begins at Jefferson Avenue and Del Rio Road and heads south into Old Town, the same as last year. The weekday is the same. The date is a day earlier.
Promenade Goes First, on Nov. 7
Promenade Temecula's Santa's Arrival and Holiday Tree Lighting is this Saturday, Nov. 7, on the Plaza in front of the Regal Cinema. It's free. The pre-show starts at 5 p.m., the main event at 6, and Santa and fireworks at 7.
What's new this year is the main event. Shakespeare in the Vines and Pseudorandomnoise are putting on an interactive version of It's a Wonderful Life staged as an old-fashioned radio show, with improv comedy and audience participation. The 5 p.m. pre-show features SoCal Rising Stars, Murrieta Dance Project, Supreme Dance Company and Guitar Lessons by Chris.
Inside the mall, Habitat for Humanity's Christmas Tree Lane is scheduled for Nov. 1 through Dec. 16 in the lower-level JCPenney Center Court. It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and this year's theme is "Once Upon a Time." That puts decorated trees on display at Promenade for about six weeks before the City's tree goes dark after Christmas.
Wine country has an earlier holiday stop too. Today, Nov. 5, BOTTAIA Winery at 35601 Rancho California Road hosts Holiday Photos & Market Night from 3 to 6 p.m. Admission is complimentary, and there's live music and local pop-up vendors.
Wine Country Takes Thanksgiving Weekend
From Promenade's lighting, there's a three-week gap before the next one. Then the wineries light their trees over three days, and Old Town starts its season on the same weekend. Here is the order, from Black Friday on:
- Friday, Nov. 27. Callaway Vineyard & Winery's Annual Barrel Tree Lighting & Holiday Market starts at 32720 Rancho California Road and runs 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, with Santa, live music and holiday wine specials. That evening, Santa arrives at Pennypickle's Workshop in Old Town from 6 to 9 p.m. Old Town's Shop Small Weekend also runs Nov. 27 and 28.
- Saturday, Nov. 28. This is the busiest day of the season. Callaway's market is open for its second day. Peltzer Family Cellars at 40275 Calle Contento holds the first day of its Annual Tree Lighting, open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the tree lit at 5:45 p.m. The Cave at Oak Mountain Winery, 36522 Via Verde, holds its free Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony from 5 to 10 p.m., with Santa and carols. Old Town's weekend Santa visits also start that morning.
- Sunday, Nov. 29. Peltzer holds its second day, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and lights the tree again at 5:45. Both days include a holiday market, Santa photos, music, farm activities and food trucks.
On Saturday, Peltzer and Oak Mountain overlap in the evening. Peltzer lights its tree at 5:45, and Oak Mountain's ceremony runs until 10. Families who miss Peltzer's Saturday lighting can catch the same 5:45 lighting on Sunday.
Peltzer also has the season's longest-running attraction. Its outdoor ice rink opens Nov. 19 for its ninth season and runs through Jan. 18. Skating is $20 for ages 11 and up and $14 for ages 10 and under. Skate rental is $2 and helmet rental is $4. Peltzer advises reserving sessions online because they sell out.
For something to do with your hands, Gold Crown Farms at 44385 Via Barranca holds Holiday Wreath Making on Saturday, Nov. 21, and again on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon. It's $40 per person, with 12 guests per session. A wreath made Nov. 21 can be on the front door before any of the Thanksgiving-weekend trees are lit.
Monday Night at the Duck Pond
After the wineries, the City lights its tree. The Christmas Tree Lighting runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, at Temecula Duck Pond & Veterans Memorial, 28250 Ynez Road. It's the only lighting on this list held on a weeknight, and the City's event calendar is the place to check the details.
Because it's the last of the lightings, the Duck Pond tree goes up just as Old Town's December events begin. The next morning, Dec. 1, A Very Temecula Christmas: Window Walk opens. It's a self-guided tour of decorated storefront windows that runs through Dec. 26.
December Moves to Old Town
Once the lightings are over, the season shifts to a few blocks of Old Town. The Old Town Temecula Association's calendar has the first two weeks of December nearly full:
- Thursday, Dec. 3, 5 to 8:30 p.m.: Holiday Taste of Old Town Temecula. Food, local wine and craft beer tastings, and live music at restaurants, tasting rooms, breweries and boutiques. It's $45 per person and goes ahead rain or shine. Tickets are listed as on sale starting Nov. 3.
- Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m.: Santa's Electric Light Parade, starting at Jefferson Avenue and Del Rio Road.
- Dec. 5 to 13: A Christmas Carol, The Musical, presented by Temecula Valley Players at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St. Tickets are $25 to $32.
- Thursday, Dec. 10, 2 to 8 p.m.: Boutique Crawl: Holiday Edition, the first night of A Very Temecula Christmas.
- Friday, Dec. 11, 4:30 to 8 p.m.: Cars, Cocoa & Carolers, with classic cars, cocoa and carolers around Old Town.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 1 to 4 p.m.: Santa Under the Tree at the Civic Center.
- Dec. 17 to 23: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, presented by Fine Arts Network at the same theater. Tickets are $33 to $38.
A Very Temecula Christmas is also shorter this year. In 2025 it ran four days, Wednesday, Dec. 10, through Saturday, Dec. 13. The boutique crawl ran 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 11, the lighted-car cruise was on Dec. 12, and Santa's Saturday activities were on Dec. 13. The 2026 version runs three days, Dec. 10 to 12. The crawl moves to a 2-to-8 p.m. evening slot, and each later event is a day earlier than last year.
Old Town has free public parking in designated lots, and the Association posts a parking map on its site. Private lots may charge a fee. On parade night and Holiday Taste night, those lots are where Old Town visitors park.
The same Saturday as Santa Under the Tree, Pechanga Resort Casino has Ruco & Elaine Christmas Live at 8 p.m. Santa at the Civic Center in the afternoon and a Pechanga show that night are a 2026 combination. The 2025 schedule put Santa's Saturday on Dec. 13.
The calendar here follows Thanksgiving, and we pay the same attention to local timing when we price a home. If a move in the new year is on your list, Meeker Realty Group can tell you what your Temecula home is worth before the Duck Pond tree comes down. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
