One-Day Event: Saturday, December 6, 2025
This is your official guide to a magical season in Oakdale, where holiday spirit comes alive all month long!
From candle and wreath-making workshops to vintage photo ops, festive shopping, dazzling window displays, and the Annual Christmas Parade… there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy! Whether you’re visiting for the day or soaking in the joy all season, these events are designed to bring our community together and create unforgettable memories. Let the festivities begin!
Candle-Making Workshop
with ‘Ike Loa Candle Co.
Join ‘Ike Loa Candle Co. for a festive mini candle experience where you’ll choose from three holiday-inspired scents and pour your own reusable bauble ornament candle in gold, silver, or red (first come, first served). Enjoy themed drinks, pastries, and 10% off storewide while you pour. The experience takes about 20–25 minutes, and candles will be ready for pick-up one hour later or the next business day. Space is limited, and reservations are required.
$35 | 10 AM, 11:30, 1:00, 2:30, 4:00 | ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED: RSVP HERE
Downtown Christmas on 3rd Avenue
17th Annual Old Fashioned Christmas on North 3rd Avenue
with Foxy Designs
Experience a day full of holiday nostalgia on North 3rd Avenue. Shop handcrafted goods, enjoy delicious local eats, sip something warm, and celebrate the season with your community.
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Christmas Photo Op
with The Shoppe on 3rd Avenue
Gather your loved ones and strike a pose at our vintage Christmas photo set—an enchanting backdrop on North 3rd Avenue. Snap that perfect holiday pic between shopping and strolling through downtown.
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
with Community Hospice & Health Services
A heartfelt tradition that brings us together. Join us in Wood Park to honor loved ones with the Light Up a Life ceremony. Santa will be waiting in the gazebo to greet the kids, while the Oakdale High Choir fills the night with carols and holiday cheer.
TREE LIGHTING AT 6:00 PM | ORDER AN ORNAMENT HERE
Christmas Window Decorations
with Love Oakdale
Show off your business’s holiday spirit in the Small Town Christmas Window Decorating Contest! Open to all businesses in the 95361 zip code, entries are due Nov 15, 2025. Community voting runs Nov 16 - Dec 1, with winners announced at the Tree Lighting on December 6. Prizes donated by Love Oakdale include a Matkat Cafe small bites party, an Inside Scoop ice cream party, and Sisters Coffee Shop coffee and pastries. Enter now and help make Oakdale shine this holiday season!
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED DEC 6 | ENTER HERE
Cindy Lou’s Holiday Wreath Workshop
with love by Beauty in Bloom, LLC.
Step into Whoville this holiday season and join me for a Merry Christmas wreath-making workshop inspired by the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who. We will create whimsical wreaths full of holiday cheer! Whether you are a seasoned crafter or trying it for the first time, you will leave with a one-of-a-kind wreath to deck your halls and a heart that is three sizes bigger. No experience necessary!
10 AM | $65 | ADVANCED TICKETS REQUIRED: RSVP HERE
Downtown Christmas on 1st Avenue
Christmas on 1st Avenue
with Momma’s Closet
1st Avenue transforms into a festive foodie haven with vendors, crafts, and s’mores by the fire pit! Browse specialty food and craft vendors, take in the sights, and cozy up with friends around the fire pit for gooey s’mores and warm memories.
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Do you have an event or activity that you’d like to propose we add to the Small Town Christmas festivities?
Send us an email at info@smalltownchristmas.co
Annual Christmas Parade
with the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce
Bundle up and bring your holiday cheer to the 8th Annual Christmas Parade! Watch the streets of downtown come alive with festive floats, twinkling lights, and jolly music as we march along a brand-new route through 1st, 3rd, and B Street.
PARADE BEGINS AT 5:00 PM | PARTICIPANTS CAN APPLY HERE
The “Julia Haidlen Memorial Ice Skating Rink” will open on December 3rd, 2025 and will be open every day through January 3, 2026 for private and public sessions (December 1st and 2nd are invite-only events). Book your party today - Click below!
The Grinch Experience
with Reata on 3rd
The Grinch is sneaking into town, and he’s ready to steal the spotlight in your holiday photos!
Throughout the day, visitors will have the opportunity to snag a spot for this mischievously merry photoshoot - perfect for kids, families, and anyone with a little Whoville spirit. And if you time it right, you might even get to meet Cindy Lou Who!
11 AM - 1 PM
Inaugural “Light Fight”
with Love Oakdale
Think your holiday lights can outshine the rest? It’s time to find out! We’re inviting local residents to deck out their homes, yards, and porches in their brightest and most creative holiday displays for a little friendly competition. From twinkling rooftops to front yard wonderlands, every home helps spread Christmas cheer throughout our community. The Light Fight Contest, hosted by Love Oakdale, invites residents to show off their holiday spirit with dazzling light displays. The entry application period runs from November 15 to December 1, 2025. The community can participate in public judging from December 6 through December 15 to help select the top displays. The top five winners will be announced on December 17, 2025, and the grand prize winner will be revealed on December 20, 2025. Register today to join the fun!
CAST YOUR VOTE ON DEC 6 | LOOKING TO PARTICIPATE?: REGISTER HERE
Charles Dickens Christmas
with Story Books + Toys
Story Books + Toys invites you to step into the spirit of the season with Charles Dickens Christmas on Saturday, December 6th, 10AM–4PM! Families are invited to enjoy letters to Santa, vintage ornament decorating, and a Dickens-themed Photo Opp at 3PM. A cozy, old-fashioned holiday celebration for all ages.
10 AM - 4 PM
We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you!
Whether you’re joining us for the twinkling lights, the joyful sounds of carolers, or the magic of making memories with loved ones, A Small Town Christmas is all about community, connection, and cheer. So bundle up, bring your family and friends, and come experience the wonder for yourself. We’ll see you in Oakdale this December - where holiday magic lives and everyone is welcome!
Be sure to click the ICE RINK link in the menu to learn about Small Town Christmas’ newest venture!