When does the holiday season start in downtown San Rafael? For the past several years the answer was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Winter Wonderland, the tree lighting and Shop Small Saturday all fell on that one day. In 2026 those events are on two different Saturdays. The shops open the season on November 28, and the City's 45th-anniversary Winter Wonderland follows on December 5 with a closed stretch of Fourth Street.
The rest of December has moved along with it. Many of the dates residents remember from 2025 have shifted by a week or more, and the first weekend of December is now the busiest of the season.
Four years on Thanksgiving Saturday
Over the last four years the event has landed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every time:
- 2022: Saturday, November 26, as covered by the Marin Independent Journal
- 2023: Saturday, November 25, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Downtown San Rafael Business Improvement District presented it together with Shop Small Saturday and a lighted classic car parade at 5:30, according to MarinArts
- 2024: Saturday, November 30, the 43rd annual event, in Marin Independent Journal photo coverage
- 2025: November 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Downtown San Rafael Plaza, the same day as Shop Small Saturday, according to the City's November 2025 newsletter
Under that schedule, one Saturday carried the shopping, the tree and the street party. The 2026 calendar gives each part its own day.
November 28 now belongs to the shops
The Downtown San Rafael BID's Shop Local page lists Shop Small Saturday and a Holiday Window Walk for November 28, 2026. It calls the day the official kickoff of the downtown Elf Hunt. The page also mentions one-day activities hosted by downtown businesses, such as holiday discounts, merchant open houses and live music.
The fifth annual Elf Hunt runs from November 28 to January 10 on Fourth Street between Lincoln and H Street. That's six days longer than last year's run, which went from November 29 to January 5. How it works:
- Download the map from the BID page or pick up a copy at T&B Sports, 1345 Fourth Street.
- Find the elf hidden inside each participating business and write its name on the map.
- Turn in the finished map at Mike's Bikes, 836 Fourth Street.
- Five winners are drawn in January for gift baskets worth $100 to $200 each.
Last year's map had 31 elves. The 2025 map gives a good idea of the route. Its stops included Pond Farm Brewing, Rebound Bookstore, Dharma Trading Co., Red Hill Pet Center, Marin Society of Artists, Marin Jewelers Guild, Amici's East Coast Pizzeria, Pixels Arcade Taproom, Stateroom Brewery, Pink Owl Coffee and Embrace Yoga. The 2026 map will have its own list of businesses.
Parking is easy for the whole stretch. The BID lists free three-hour parking in City lots and garages from November 28 through January 3, and weekends are always free.
December 5 belongs to the City, on a closed Fourth Street
Winter Wonderland also has a new producer and a bigger footprint this year. In 2023 the BID presented a one-block event. This year the City's Recreation team is producing it, with the BID as its partner. The City's event page says:
"In honor of this milestone anniversary, the City of San Rafael's Recreation team, in partnership with the Downtown Business Improvement District, will be producing the event. We aim to bring new ideas, activities, and energy to preserve and strengthen this longtime community tradition."
The 45th anniversary runs Saturday, December 5, from 1 to 6 p.m. on Fourth Street between A Street and Lootens. It's free and includes kids' train rides, Santa visits, live music, inflatables, face painting, kids' entertainers, food and drink vendors, and a tree lighting. Last year's event ran two hours in the evening at the Plaza. This one takes up most of the afternoon across several blocks. The event's own site describes music "throughout the afternoon" and a train ride through the Wonderland, and it says the tree-lighting ceremony closes the day, so the tree goes up as the afternoon ends.
A street event needs road closures. An October City Council agenda report recommended closing Fourth Street from A Street to Lootens from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 5 for setup, the event itself and breakdown. Plan any downtown driving that Saturday around that window.
The City is also inviting residents, community groups, local organizations and businesses to host activities at the anniversary event. Details are on the City's Winter Wonderland page.
The weekend that now carries the season
Because Winter Wonderland moved to December 5, it now shares a weekend with the fourth annual Menorah Lighting & Gelt Drop. That event takes place Sunday, December 6, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Downtown San Rafael Plaza, 1000 Fourth Street, and Chabad of Marin and the City of San Rafael organize it. In 2025 the menorah lighting fell on December 21, more than three weeks after the tree lighting. This year the two lightings are held on consecutive days, both on Fourth Street.
The weekend after that brings a new event. The BID's events calendar lists the first annual Carol-oke in the Plaza for December 12. The Carol-oke page puts it on that Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Court Street Plaza. The night before, Art Works Downtown's 2nd Friday Art Walk returns on December 11. In 2025, the City listed the December Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. across downtown, anchored by the Art Works Downtown galleries and studios. If you want a quieter evening before the season starts, the November Art Walk is Friday, November 13.
Here is how this season compares with last year's:
| Event | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Shop Small Saturday | Nov. 29 | Nov. 28 |
| Elf Hunt | Nov. 29 to Jan. 5 | Nov. 28 to Jan. 10 |
| Winter Wonderland and tree lighting | Nov. 29, 5 to 7 p.m., Downtown Plaza | Dec. 5, 1 to 6 p.m., Fourth St. from A St. to Lootens, ending with the lighting |
| Menorah Lighting & Gelt Drop | Dec. 21 | Dec. 6, 5 to 6:30 p.m. |
| 2nd Friday Art Walk | Dec. 12 | Dec. 11 |
| Carol-oke in the Plaza | Not held | Dec. 12, 1 to 4 p.m., Court Street Plaza |
| Lighted Boat Parade | Dec. 13, San Rafael Canal | Dec. 19, 6 p.m. |
The boat parade closes the run a week later
The San Rafael Lighted Boat Parade is the last date on the season's calendar. The City calls it a Marin County holiday tradition since 1966. In 2025 it ran on December 13 from 6 to 9 p.m., rain or shine, through the San Rafael Canal. Visit Marin lists the 2026 parade for Saturday, December 19, at 6 p.m., the week before Christmas. For details, the Downtown BID's calendar links to the parade's Facebook page.
Last year's Golden Gate events listing recommended four public viewing spots along the canal: behind Montecito Plaza, Beach Park next to Terrapin Crossroads, the San Rafael Yacht Club and Pickleweed Park. Those were the 2025 recommendations and are a good starting point for picking a spot on the water this year.
Two new addresses on Fourth Street
The BID has welcomed two new businesses to Fourth Street. Little Marin at 1820 Fourth Street is an indoor play space for children from 9 months to 6 years old, and it also hosts birthday parties. Scott Nichols Gallery shows fine-art photography at 1310 Fourth Street.
If you're planning your December around downtown San Rafael, or wondering which parts of town put Fourth Street and the canal within an easy walk, Carla Giustino knows these blocks from more than 25 years of working in Marin. Request a complimentary Marin market consultation, and we'll talk about San Rafael with the same local detail as this calendar.
