The hardest part of December to plan around this year is the three days from Thursday, Dec. 3, to Saturday, Dec. 5. Downtown Lincoln lights its tree, Kilaga Springs hosts an Elvis Christmas show, and the Hometown Christmas Parade moves through downtown. That's three events in three days, split between the gate and 5th Street.
The rest of the season is spread out. The holiday calendar for 2026 runs from the Holiday Market on Sunday, Nov. 1, to Santa in the Plaza on Dec. 19. It mostly alternates between the two Lodges and downtown Lincoln. The two halves work differently. Inside the gate you buy reserved seats with set curtain times. Downtown events are outdoors on the plaza and streets, and some of their 2026 details haven't been posted yet. Once you see that split, it's much easier to plan the next seven weeks.
Seven Weeks on Two Calendars
Here is the full season in one place, with the posted day, time and venue for each event.
| Date | Event | Time | Where | How you get in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 1 | SCLH Holiday Market | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | The Lodge, 965 Orchard Creek Lane | Vendor market |
| Thu., Nov. 5 to Sun., Nov. 8 | You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | Nov. 5 show 7 to 9 p.m. | Orchard Creek Grand Ballroom | Reserved seats |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day Ceremony | 11:11 a.m. to noon | Placer County Veterans Monument, 65 McBean Park Dr. | RSVP |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Tree Lighting & Holiday Faire | Not yet posted | Downtown Lincoln | Community event |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Jim Anderson and The Rebels: An Elvis Christmas | 4 to 6 p.m. | Kilaga Springs Presentation Hall | Reserved seats |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Hometown Christmas Parade | Not yet posted | Downtown Lincoln | Community event |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Lincoln Hills Chorus, The Yuletide Express | 7 to 9 p.m. | Orchard Creek Grand Ballroom | Reserved seats |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Santa in the Plaza 2026 | 4 to 6 p.m. | Beermann Plaza, 640 5th St. | Free |
Santa in the Plaza is the only downtown event with a posted 2026 time. The two downtown December nights in the middle of the table are the ones still waiting on details. They also sit on either side of the Elvis Christmas show.
November Belongs to the Lodges
The season opens on home ground. The Sun City Lincoln Hills Holiday Market is Sunday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 965 Orchard Creek Lane. The listing promises the Lodge "filled with vendors galore." It runs five hours, so you can stop in for a few minutes or take your time.
Four days later, the Lincoln Hills Players Club brings You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to the Orchard Creek Grand Ballroom for a four-night run, Nov. 5, 6, 7 and 8. Jane Patton directs. The community's event listing promises Snoopy battling the Red Baron, Linus with his security blanket, and Charlie Brown still hoping to win a baseball game. The opening show on Thursday, Nov. 5, runs from 7 to 9 p.m. You can buy tickets in person at the Lodges at Orchard Creek or Kilaga Springs, or online through the residents' entertainment page. Seats are reserved.
That reserved-seat model is why the inside-the-gate half of the season is easy to plan. When you buy a ticket for a Lodge show, you know the room, the start time and where you're sitting weeks ahead.
The one November date outside the gate
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the Placer County Veterans Monument holds its Veterans Day Ceremony from 11:11 a.m. to noon at 65 McBean Park Dr. in Lincoln. The organizers' page says last year's ceremony "was the best ceremony so far" and that "this year will be even better," and it asks guests to RSVP. It falls between the end of the Charlie Brown run and the December rush, which makes it an easy morning to keep open.
Thursday Through Saturday, December 3 to 5
This is the stretch to plan carefully. The Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce presents Lincoln Hometown Christmas as "two unforgettable nights of holiday cheer" downtown. The first night is a Tree Lighting & Holiday Faire with festive booths, cocoa and the plaza lighting up as Santa arrives. The second, two days later, is the Hometown Christmas Parade with decorated floats. The Rotary Club of Lincoln's calendar lists the tree lighting on Dec. 3, 2026, and the parade on Dec. 5, 2026.
Kilaga Springs takes the night in between. Jim Anderson and The Rebels: An Elvis Christmas plays the Kilaga Springs Presentation Hall on Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Here's how the three days line up:
- Thursday, Dec. 3. The Tree Lighting & Holiday Faire downtown. Last year's version, held on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, took place at Beermann Plaza, 640 5th St. The Chamber's 2025 listing ran from 5 to 8 p.m. Gold Mountain California News reported that the 2025 event started at 5 p.m., lit the tree at 7 p.m. and was planned to wrap up at 8:30 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 4. An Elvis Christmas at Kilaga Springs, 4 to 6 p.m., with reserved seats and a posted start time.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. The Hometown Christmas Parade downtown. In 2025 the parade stepped off at 5 p.m. According to the same Gold Mountain California News report, it started at 5th and B streets, went downtown to F Street, turned onto 6th Street past City Hall, followed 6th down to A Street, and ended at A Street and McBean Parkway.
The times and route in items 1 and 3 are last year's. The Chamber's 2026 page doesn't yet list hours, a venue address or a parade route. The page also says parade signups "are not open yet" and to "check for updates in the Fall." Fall is here, so the Chamber can be reached at [email protected] for the current schedule. If the 2026 nights follow the 2025 pattern, both downtown evenings would start around 5 p.m. That fits comfortably around a 4-to-6 p.m. show at Kilaga Springs the day in between.
"Bundle up for the Hometown Christmas Parade two days later, where decorated floats and community spirit take center stage." — Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce
Where Dinner Fits on 5th Street
The downtown nights end close to dinnertime, and the newest dinner option sits right by the plaza. Rockstar Pizza is a wood-fired kitchen at 645 5th St., in the historic Beermann's building. Beermann Plaza is 640 5th St. The Sacramento Business Journal covered the restaurant's planned opening in January 2026.
Its posted hours line up well with the downtown calendar. Rockstar is closed Monday and Tuesday. It's open 4 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. That means it's open on all three downtown dates in December:
- Thursday, Dec. 3, tree lighting night, open from 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, parade night, open from 11 a.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 19, Santa in the Plaza, open from 11 a.m.
You can book a table at 916-409-5376. Booking ahead makes the most sense on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5, the two Hometown Christmas nights.
The Back Half of December Slows Down
After the first weekend, the calendar spreads out again, and the last two events show the difference between the two halves clearly.
On Friday, Dec. 11, the Lincoln Hills Chorus presents The Yuletide Express in the Orchard Creek Grand Ballroom from 7 to 9 p.m. According to the chorus's listing, the program includes "Home for the Holidays," a performance of the "Hallelujah Chorus," and sing-alongs. It also hints that "a certain red-suited, white-bearded fellow may hop aboard." The listing warns that seats "will fill quickly." Of all the Lodge shows this season, this is the one most worth reserving early.
On Saturday, Dec. 19, the season ends downtown, outdoors and for free. The Downtown Lincoln Association hosts Santa in the Plaza 2026 at Beermann Plaza from 4 to 6 p.m. The program includes gifts from Santa, kids' crafts, face painting, free photos from Jennynenio Photography, and a visit from Santa's reindeer. The listing describes it as a free event open to the community, which makes it a good afternoon if grandchildren are visiting that weekend.
The two Saturdays downtown, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, bookend the busiest part of December. The one Friday at Orchard Creek falls between them.
In most years, holiday gatherings bring up questions about what comes next, such as whether the current home still fits or what it might be worth before a move. If those questions come up at your table this season, Shawn Claycomb is a neighbor here in Sun City Lincoln Hills and is glad to talk them through. Request a complimentary home valuation whenever the timing feels right, even if that's after the parade.
