At 5 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 21, Santa and Mrs. Claus show up at Del Monte Center. There will be balloon twisting, cocoa and cookies, and the center's tree lighting runs until 7 p.m. That same evening, Winter Wonderfest opens its first night at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Both are well away from the adobes and the harbor, and that's typical of how Monterey's December works.
The city doesn't have one big holiday kickoff. It has a series of them, and each district puts on its own. The shopping center and the fairgrounds go first. Cannery Row follows, then Old Town and Old Fisherman's Wharf, then the harbor itself. The district events end in Historic Old Monterey, in the adobes the city grew from. Because the lightings fall on different nights, one household can make almost all of them. Each district's organizer posts its own times and prices, and those organizer pages are linked below.
Nov. 21: The shopping center and the fairgrounds open the season
The Del Monte Center tree lighting lasts two hours, and it's a good fit for a family with small children and an early bedtime.
Winter Wonderfest is bigger, and it runs much longer. It's open 5 to 9 p.m. on select nights from Nov. 21 through Dec. 27. New this year are Frosty's Carnival, a Whoville Bounce Village, more food vendors, a larger holiday market, new light installations and more lounge areas. Since it's open only on certain nights, check the calendar before you go:
- Nov. 21 to 22
- Nov. 27 to 29
- Dec. 3 to 6
- Dec. 10 to 13
- Dec. 16 to 23
- Dec. 26 to 27
Advance general admission on the Winter Wonderfest ticket page is $27.50 for adults and $11 for children 6 to 12, and children 5 and under get in free. There's also a $22 Wonderpass and an $80 season pass. For a family that plans to go more than twice, the season pass costs less than three adult tickets.
Thanksgiving week: The season moves to the water
The next two openings fall on back-to-back days. Ice Skating by the Bay opens Thursday, Nov. 26, on Thanksgiving itself, at Custom House Plaza behind the Portola Hotel & Spa, and it stays open through Jan. 3. Holiday hours are noon to 8 p.m., and that schedule applies to Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. On other days the rink is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. On Dec. 1 to 4 and Dec. 8 to 11 it opens later, at 1 p.m. The rink's own site lists admission at $20 for adults and $18 for children 12 and under, plus $5 for skate rental. A $225 season pass is also available. Book through the operator so you see the current rates.
The next afternoon, Friday, Nov. 27, Cannery Row holds its 32nd Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Steinbeck Plaza, at the corner of Cannery Row and Prescott Avenue. It's free, and it runs on a set schedule:
- 2 to 5 p.m.: family entertainment, including holiday music and balloon artists
- 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.: carolers from I Cantori di Carmel
- About 5:45 p.m.: Santa arrives on the balcony overlooking the plaza
- About 6 p.m.: the countdown and tree lighting
- 6 to 9 p.m.: Santa's Toy Factory, on the second floor of the clock-tower building at 685 Cannery Row
Bring your own camera, because photos with Santa are free. The Toy Factory also opens on weekends from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20, noon to 3 p.m. If you can't make the busy Friday, those weekend hours are a quieter time to visit Santa. Event parking is in the Cannery Row parking garage at Foam and Wave streets.
The day after Cannery Row's lighting is Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. The City lists it as a day to shop the gift shops, boutiques and restaurants of Downtown Old Monterey.
Friday, Dec. 4: Old Town and the Wharf light up the same evening
Dec. 4 is the busiest night of the season, because two districts begin on the same Friday.
The Traditional Tree Lighting on the Colton Hall lawn runs from 5 to 6 p.m., with candlelight, cookies, cider, music and caroling. It's free. The Old Monterey Business Association puts it on in partnership with the City of Monterey and First Night Monterey. Because it's over by 6, you'll still have most of the evening.
That same Friday, the 10th annual Christmas on the Wharf opens at Old Fisherman's Wharf. Its free activities run Fridays through Sundays from Dec. 4 to Dec. 20. The decorations, including a 23-foot tree, go up Dec. 1 and stay through Jan. 3. Santa's House is free during the event weekends, and its hours change by day:
| Day | Santa's House hours on the Wharf |
|---|---|
| Fridays | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Saturdays | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Sundays | 1 to 6 p.m. |
The Friday hours start at 5 p.m., the same time as the Colton Hall lighting. That means a family can be at Colton Hall for the candles and caroling and then go to the Wharf for Santa in a single evening.
Sunday, Dec. 6: The harbor gets its own night
The 34th Annual Brighten the Harbor Holiday Lighted Boat Parade is Sunday, Dec. 6, from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. The Fisherman's Wharf Association sponsors it, and it's free to watch from public viewing areas around Monterey Harbor and the waterfront next to Old Fisherman's Wharf. Decorated sailboats and powerboats cruise the harbor and along the waterfront. The Wharf Association notes that many of the Wharf's restaurants have views of the parade.
The boat parade is the only event on Monterey's calendar that depends on the ocean. If sea conditions are unfavorable on Dec. 6, the parade moves to Sunday, Dec. 13. For any dinner reservation that weekend, keep the 13th open as a backup. The Wharf's parade page lists contact details, including 831-238-0777.
Dec. 11 and 12: The adobes, and a new step at the door
After the harbor, the season moves into Historic Old Monterey for the 42nd Annual Christmas in the Adobes, Friday, Dec. 11, and Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 to 9 p.m. The Monterey State Historic Park Association describes historic adobes lit with luminarias, holiday décor, music and refreshments. Prices match last year: $30 for an adult single-night ticket and $45 for the two-night Gold Pass. Youth 17 and under get in free.
What's different this year is the check-in. If you buy online through the MSHPA event page, you need to stop at a will-call location on the night of the event to pick up a wristband and the event map. Individual adobes won't accept printed or mobile Eventbrite tickets. Will-call opens at 4 p.m. both nights at these three locations:
- Stanton Center, Custom House Plaza
- Casa Gutierrez, 590 Calle Principal
- Stevenson House, 530 Houston Street
These three spots handle check-in only and don't sell tickets, so buy before you leave home. Military and MSHPA member discounts aren't available online. To get them, buy in person at the Custom House Store. The event goes on rain or shine, and tickets are nonrefundable. Proceeds support Monterey State Historic Park's K-12 history education program.
The association says an updated 2026 map is coming. The county's visitor listing names buildings such as California's First Theater, Casa Serrano, Cooper-Molera Adobe, Colton Hall, Pacific House, the Robert Louis Stevenson House and the Royal Presidio Chapel. It also notes that Pacheco Adobe is open Saturday only. If Pacheco Adobe is on your list, plan to go Saturday.
For a smaller gathering before the walk, the Memory Garden behind the Pacific House Museum hosts a holiday reception on Dec. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. It features seasonal bites and wines from Joyce Winery and costs $65 per person. It's ticketed separately from the adobes. The Olmsted Brothers designed the garden in 1927, which makes it one of the oldest settings of the season.
The next day, Saturday, Dec. 12, the Monterey Museum of Art holds its Winter Art Market. That means a second night of adobes can follow a day of shopping for local art.
Tuesday, Dec. 15: The last stop is Cooper-Molera
The season's last district event is in the oldest part of town, on a weeknight. Old Town Monterey Navidad at Cooper-Molera Adobe runs Tuesday, Dec. 15, 4 to 7 p.m., and it's free. Santa will be there, along with artisan vendors, a pet photographer, food, festive drinks and live music from Mike Marotta's International Trio. With a pet photographer on site, it's also the one event of the season built for bringing the dog.
All season long, there's one more stop that doesn't belong to any district. From Nov. 29 through Dec. 18, the Monterey Fire Department has food collection bins at every Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel fire station except the airport location, and the food goes to the Monterey County Food Bank. If you're making the rounds from Del Monte Center to Cooper-Molera, a station is on the way.
If you're hosting family this December and wondering whether the Monterey home you're in still fits, we're happy to help you think it through. Homes by Henson is a family team, and we know these Monterey holiday traditions well. Once the parades and adobe nights are behind you, we'd be glad to meet for coffee and walk you through a free home valuation, with no pressure and no rush.
