"That's why we still have the welcome signs in each area," Encinitas Historical Society president Carolyn Cope told The Coast News in September, explaining how a city made of five communities kept each one's character. "People know they are part of the City of Encinitas, but each community has its own identity and something unique that makes it special."
You can see that arrangement on the December calendar this year. From Friday afternoon, December 4, through Sunday afternoon, December 6, the city's biggest holiday events follow one another with almost no gap. The Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce, the City, Cardiff 101 and Encinitas 101 each run a different piece. Together they make one long weekend, and this year it closes out the city's 40th anniversary.
The Theme Was Set in October
Voters in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia, Olivenhain, Old Encinitas and New Encinitas approved incorporation with 69.3 percent of the vote on Oct. 1, 1986, according to the Encinitas Wave. The city held its birthday party on Saturday, Oct. 3. The day ran from a sandcastle exhibition at Moonlight Beach to screen printing and 1980s line dancing at Pacific View Arts Center. It ended with BETAMAXX on stage and an outdoor showing of "Back to the Future" on the sand.
The anniversary carries into December. The City's 2026 Holiday Parade uses the theme "40 and Still Fabulous," and the City says it reflects "on our history and looking forward to our future." Entrants are asked to celebrate the city's history and culture. The parade is the City's own event. The ones on either side of it come from the community groups Cope described.
Friday Now Starts at 2 p.m.
For 31 years, the Heritage Tree Lighting has opened the season on the first Friday of December, the night before the parade. The 2026 event is the 32nd. The tree is a 90-foot Norfolk Island Pine planted in 1952, and the City designated it a Heritage Tree in 2011. It stands next to Moonlight Beach. The Encinitas Historical Society organizes the evening with the City as partner. A May 2026 City Council agenda report sets this year's event for Friday, December 4, from 4 to 7 p.m., with live music, children's activities and the lighting itself at 6 p.m.
The new part this year starts two hours earlier. The Encinitas Chamber of Commerce is holding its first Encinitas Holiday Village & Market from 2 to 7 p.m. on December 4, in part of the Moonlight Beach parking lot. Admission is free. The Chamber is running it with the Historical Society and in partnership with the City. The Coast News reported that the market is meant to "expand the celebration surrounding the annual Heritage Tree Lighting."
The Chamber recruited about 20 vendors and gave preference to its members and other local businesses. Planned goods include handmade gifts, jewelry, candles, seasonal decorations, specialty foods and children's gifts. Sponsors could also fund hot chocolate, gingerbread house decorating, a holiday photo station, strolling carolers and children's activities. This year, the afternoon before the lighting has a market of its own at Moonlight Beach.
Saturday Belongs to Coast Highway 101
Less than 24 hours after the tree is lit, the parade starts at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. It travels South Coast Highway 101 between D and J streets. The City reviews entry applications one at a time, and the fee depends on the type of group: $75 for a nonprofit, $150 for a private group and $200 for a commercial business.
Friday's events are next to Moonlight Beach, and Saturday's route runs through downtown on the 101, so the first two nights of the weekend both happen in and around downtown Encinitas. The City's parade page lists the official route and times.
Sunday Moves Down the Coast to Cardiff
Sunday morning shifts south to Cardiff. Cardiff 101 Main Street's free Kringle Mingle fills Aberdeen Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on December 6. Makers Market booths line the street with locally made gifts, local musicians play, and children have a holiday craft table. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Surfing Santa sits for photos in a vintage Camera Camper sleigh. Cardiff 101 says he heads back to the North Pole "promptly at 2:00 pm." Hot coffee, hot chocolate and treats come from in-kind sponsors The Giving Treats, Starbucks and Cardiff 101 Main Street.
Sunday is also the last day of Encinitas 101's Deck the Windows, the downtown holiday art week. It starts November 29 and ends at 3 p.m. on December 6. If the tree lighting and parade crowds kept you from looking at the windows downtown, Sunday afternoon is your last chance.
Here is the weekend in one place. The last column shows who runs each event.
| Day | Time | Event | Location | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec 4 | 2–7 p.m. | Holiday Village & Market | Moonlight Beach parking lot | Encinitas Chamber of Commerce |
| Fri, Dec 4 | 4–7 p.m., lighting at 6 p.m. | Heritage Tree Lighting | Next to Moonlight Beach | Encinitas Historical Society with the City |
| Sat, Dec 5 | 5:30 p.m. | Holiday Parade, "40 and Still Fabulous" | S. Coast Hwy 101, D to J streets | City of Encinitas |
| Sun, Dec 6 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Kringle Mingle | Aberdeen Drive, Cardiff | Cardiff 101 Main Street |
| Sun, Dec 6 | Through 3 p.m. | Deck the Windows, final day | Downtown Encinitas | Encinitas 101 |
The Two Weeks Before
The run-up starts in late November, and each event adds something the weekend builds on.
- Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Garden opens November 20. Adult tickets start at $28 and child tickets at $18, and children 2 and under get in free. Parking costs $15 per vehicle in advance or $20 on site, if spaces remain. Details are on SDBG's Lightscape page.
- Encinitas 101 Holiday Street Fair is on Sunday, November 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown, with vendors, live entertainment, food and drink, and children's rides. Encinitas 101 describes the fair as filling a six-block stretch of South Coast Highway 101.
- The Encinitas Turkey Trot runs Thanksgiving morning, November 26. The 10K starts at 7:30 a.m., the Kids-K at 7:40 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m., with registration opening at 6 a.m. Before discounts, the adult 5K costs $68 and the 10K costs $78. Registration is on the race site.
- Shop Small Saturday follows on November 28, with live music, sidewalk sales and local specials. Encinitas 101 says participating businesses in each community will hand out limited-edition prints.
- Deck the Windows starts downtown the next day, November 29, and runs into the big weekend.
- The Olivenhain Town Council holds a members-only Holiday Wine Tasting on Wednesday, December 2, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Cardiff Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MiraCosta College San Elijo Campus, 3333 Manchester Ave., rain or shine. In October it was one of the venues for the 40th birthday party, handing out anniversary tote bags and a prize for the best 1980s outfit. Like the other events on this list, it was a local group's own event that became part of the city's celebration.
Charlotte Kornik keeps track of these local calendars because a weekend like this one is part of what makes a place feel like home. If you're hosting family for the tree lighting, or wondering which part of Encinitas puts you within walking distance of the parade route or Aberdeen Drive, Charlotte Kornik is glad to talk it through privately. Get Private Consultation & Exclusive Access.
