This year, Arroyo Grande's four biggest holiday events all fall on Sundays. The Turkey Trot is Nov. 15, the Big Ditch Holiday Market is Nov. 29, the Holiday Parade is Dec. 6 and the Tree Lighting and Snow is Dec. 13, and each one runs through the City.
Arroyo Grande's fall calendar ran on different days. The 89th Harvest Festival took Heritage Square Park and Olohan Alley on a Friday and Saturday in late September, and the Big Ditch Market met on Friday evenings in the Car Corral. In the holiday season, the big City events land on Sundays, and the Village volunteers handle the days in between.
Four Sundays, Mostly One Department
Here are the four Sunday events as posted for 2026:
| Sunday | Event | Where | Hours | Presented by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 15 | 49th Annual Turkey Trot | Arroyo Grande High School track | 2–4 p.m. | Arroyo Grande Lions Club |
| Nov. 29 | Big Ditch Holiday Market | Village Car Corral, 103 E. Branch St. | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | City of Arroyo Grande |
| Dec. 6 | Holiday Parade and Jingle Bell Dash | Branch Street, Village | Dash 4 p.m., parade 5 p.m. | City Recreation Department |
| Dec. 13 | Tree Lighting and Snow | Elm Street Park, 1221 Ash St. | 5–7 p.m. | City Recreation Department |
Three of the four come from City Hall. The fourth belongs to the Lions Club, but you still sign up through the City's recreation site, so all four Sundays run through one office. That's why the schedule holds together so well. One department set the dates, and none of them overlap.
The Village groups run things differently. The Arroyo Grande Village Improvement Association runs Christmas in the Village, and its biggest draw is a Santa schedule that runs on weekdays and weekends from Dec. 1 to Dec. 22. More on that below. First, the Sundays in order.
Nov. 15: The Race Where the Prize Is Dinner
The Lions Club's Turkey Trot is in its 49th year. It's for kids from preschool through eighth grade, and it runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Arroyo Grande High School track. The prizes come straight off the holiday table. First place wins a turkey, second a chicken and third a game hen.
Registration costs $5 and includes a Turkey Trot T-shirt and refreshments after the race. You can sign up online at arroyogrande.org/rec or at the track starting at 1 p.m. on race day, according to the City's fall events announcement. Right now that's 10 days away, which is plenty of time to buy the shirt in advance and skip the line.
Nov. 29: The Big Ditch Market Moves to Daylight
This is where the Sunday shift is easiest to see. The Big Ditch Market met at the Car Corral on Sept. 4 and Oct. 2, both Friday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m. The City described local artisans, food trucks and live music by Ryan Jenkins. The holiday edition keeps the same spot but moves to the Sunday after Thanksgiving, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with artisans, food trucks and live music.
The new time changes what the market is good for. The summer and fall markets worked as a Friday night out. A Sunday midday market falls right after the Thanksgiving weekend, and the Car Corral is at 103 E. Branch St., in the middle of the Village shops. That makes it an easy way to do gift shopping from local makers and walk the block afterward.
The block has changed a little since spring, too. Villa Cantina served its last meal at 106 E. Branch St. on July 12 after more than 10 years. The Tribune reported that Blast 825 Taproom, from the locally based Central Coast Restaurant Group, was slated to take over the space.
Between the Sundays, the Village Runs Its Own Calendar
The City's events are one-day affairs. The Village Improvement Association's Christmas in the Village lasts most of December, and it's built around the Historical Society's Heritage House and Gardens at 126 S. Mason St.
Heritage House is a Victorian cottage built in the late 1890s. The South County Historical Society runs it as a museum about home life and clothing across more than a century. Most of the year, the Society's museums are generally open only on the second and fourth weekends, from 1 to 3 p.m. December is when the gardens get far more use than usual, because that's where Santa sets up.
According to Christmas in the Village, Santa's 2026 hours at Heritage Gardens are:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 to 6 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m.
- Dec. 1 through Dec. 22
The organizers also add a warning that makes sense for an outdoor garden visit in December:
"We encourage you to come early in December to avoid raining day cancellations."
The weekday afternoon slots are the ones the Sunday calendar doesn't cover. A 3 p.m. Tuesday visit fits a school pickup, while the weekend afternoons fill up around everything else on the schedule.
The association also hosts Elegant Evening, a free evening in the historic Village from 5 to 8 p.m. It includes holiday shopping, wine tasting, local food, live music, Christmas lights and decor, and Santa as a special guest. The organizers say festive attire is welcome. Check the Elegant Evening page for the date. Because the Village organizers set their own schedule, this event isn't tied to the City's Sundays.
Dec. 6: Chase the Grinch, Then Watch the Parade
The parade Sunday starts with something just for kids. The free Jingle Bell Dash is open to children from preschool through sixth grade, and the runners chase the Grinch down Branch Street. You can pre-register at arroyogrande.org/catalog or sign up at the event starting at 3:30 p.m. Races begin at 4 p.m., and the parade starts at 5 p.m. in the Village.
The hour between the dash and the parade is the one stretch on this calendar when the City and the Village overlap. It's also a Sunday, so Santa is in Heritage Gardens from 1 to 4 p.m. that afternoon, just off Branch Street on South Mason. A family could see Santa, run the dash and stay for the parade without moving the car.
Speaking of cars, expect the Village to close to traffic. The City's 2025 listing described the parade's usual route as starting on East Branch Street by City Hall and heading to Traffic Way and Branch Street. KSBY covered the road closures ahead of last year's parade, which ran on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. For a recent example, on Halloween the City closed East Branch Street between Traffic Way and Mason Street from 3 to 7 p.m. for "Halloween in the Village" and sent drivers around on Traffic Way, Nelson Street and Mason Street.
Dec. 13: Santa Works a Double Shift
The last Sunday shows the whole arrangement best, because both organizers schedule Santa on the same day in two places.
At 1 p.m., the Village side hosts Santa's Palo Mesa Pizza Party at Heritage Gardens, 126 S. Mason St. It runs one hour, and donations are suggested but not required. Four hours later, the City's Tree Lighting and Snow starts at Elm Street Park, 1221 Ash St., and runs from 5 to 7 p.m. At last year's event, the City's listing had Santa lighting the tree at 6 p.m.
Here's how the day lays out:
- 1 to 2 p.m.: pizza with Santa at Heritage Gardens, run by the Village side.
- 2 to 4 p.m.: Santa's regular Sunday hours continue at Heritage Gardens.
- 5 to 7 p.m.: Tree Lighting and Snow at Elm Street Park, run by the City.
After Dec. 13, none of the four Sunday events are left, and the Village side carries the rest of the season. Santa stays at Heritage Gardens on his usual Tuesday, Thursday and weekend schedule through Dec. 22.
If you'd like this calendar on paper, or you have family visiting and want to know which Sunday is the best one to bring them to, reach out to Robert Sousa. Robert keeps track of what's happening around town all year, and he's glad to help you plan a December weekend in Arroyo Grande. Let's Connect.
