Christmas in the Park's season starts on Friday, November 27, but the 2026 season comes in two sizes. For the first three weeks, the rides and vendors stay mostly on Paseo de San Antonio, and cars still use Market Street. From December 17 on, southbound Market Street closes and the festival spreads into it. Two other changes this year make the timing matter more. The plaza has a new name, and the drive-through display that used to pull some of the season's crowds out of downtown is not running. This year the season is concentrated downtown, and when you go decides which version you get.
One Plaza, One Address, a New Name on the Sign
On October 27, 2026, the San José City Council voted unanimously to rename Plaza de César Chávez as Plaza de San José. The vote followed several months of community engagement. The City's project page says the new name was the top choice in a ranked-choice survey that drew more than 10,500 responses, and that it reflects the park's long role as a central gathering place. This will be the first Christmas in the Park under that name. The park sits between Market, San Fernando and San Carlos streets.
The second change is a pause. Christmas in the Park's organizers say that after "an extensive search," they could not find a location for Blinky's Drive-Thru that met their standard. They have paused it for the season and are putting their effort into the park itself. Last year Blinky's ran from November 21 to December 31 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, separate from the downtown park. With it gone, the event's 2026 season comes down to one address.
The park itself follows its usual pattern. It runs November 27, 2026, through January 1, 2027, from noon to 10 p.m. daily. Admission is free, and the park has more than 40 displays, live entertainment and free Santa photos. The event's FAQ says opening night includes the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the events calendar carries the opening-night schedule. This is the 46th year of a tradition that started in 1980.
Act One: Paseo de San Antonio, With Market Street Open
The park doesn't run the rides. Christmas in the Park's FAQ says the rides belong to a separate private business, which is Winter Wonderland. According to its own blog, it has been part of downtown's holiday season since 2001.
Winter Wonderland's 2026 schedule splits the season into two runs. Run 1 goes from November 27 through December 16. During that stretch, Market Street stays open to traffic, and the rides and attractions are mostly along Paseo de San Antonio, with vendors spread through the event area. The Paseo is also where the Winter Market sets up. It is a holiday gift fair with dozens of vendors, run with Culture Night Market.
The ride hours change with the calendar:
| Dates | Ride hours |
|---|---|
| November 27 | 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. |
| November 28 and 29 | 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. |
| November 30, December 3 | 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| December 4 to 6 | 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. |
| December 7 to 10 | 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| December 11 to 13 | 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. |
| December 14 to 18 | 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
| December 19 to January 3 | Noon to 11 p.m. |
For the first three weeks, the rides open in the late afternoon or evening, and Christmas in the Park closes at 10 p.m. On most of those nights, families who want both have about five or six hours, all after dark. Run 1 is the more compact version of the season, and it fits around a regular week.
Act Two: December 17, When Market Street Becomes Festival Ground
Run 2 starts December 17 and lasts through January 3, 2027. Southbound Market Street closes, and Winter Wonderland says the extra space lets it bring in larger rides and attractions and build "an expanded festival area featuring vendors, food trucks, rides, and entertainment stages."
Hours change two days later. Starting December 19, rides run from noon to 11 p.m. every day through January 3. That lines up with Christmas in the Park's noon opening, so for the last two weeks of the year both events run all afternoon. The schedule is built for school break, when afternoons are free.
The closure also changes how you get around. Through December 16, southbound Market is an open street running past the plaza. From December 17, it is part of the festival. Anyone who drives through downtown on Market in late December should plan for that lane to be closed through January 3.
Matching Christmas in the Park's Special Nights to the Right Half
Christmas in the Park has a calendar of themed days, and they fall on both sides of December 17. The event's 2026 calendar lists these:
- Community Tree Decorating Days, November 23 to 25. These come before the season opens, while the plaza is still being set up.
- SJSU Night, December 3. Run 1, Market Street open.
- Pet-friendly day, December 6. Run 1, on a weekend when rides run 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Sensory-friendly Sunday, December 13. Run 1, with the smaller ride footprint on the Paseo.
- Pet-friendly day, December 19. Run 2, the first day of noon-to-11 ride hours.
- Sensory-friendly Sunday, December 27. Run 2, with southbound Market closed and the festival area at full size.
- Free Santa photos, November 28 to December 24. These span both runs.
The two sensory-friendly Sundays fall in different halves of the season. On December 13, the rides are concentrated on Paseo de San Antonio and Market Street is open. On December 27, the area includes food trucks, stages and larger rides on Market. The same goes for the two pet-friendly days. Your dog visits a smaller event on December 6 than on December 19.
Getting There Without Losing the Evening to a Garage
Winter Wonderland gives a $2 discount on unlimited-ride wristbands to anyone who shows a VTA pass at the ticket booth, Monday through Friday. One pass can earn up to two discounts. For a family of two riders, coming by transit on a weekday saves $4 before you've even reached the plaza.
Parking works differently on event days. ParkSJ's 90-minutes-free program applies only on non-event days and does not apply during special events or to pre-paid parking. The San Jose Downtown Association's holidays page links to both the parking program and VTA, so you can check them before you go.
The Stops Within Walking Distance of the Plaza
With the drive-through paused, the extra stops are now within walking distance of the park.
San Jose Holiday Lights at 330 W. San Carlos Street is listed to run from November 13, 2026, through January 1, 2027, daily from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. It ends the same day as Christmas in the Park and stays open half an hour later each night.
SJMADE's Winter Wonder Market comes to South Hall at 435 S. Market Street on Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. It falls on the last weekend of Run 1, so you can shop local makers in the afternoon and go to the plaza after dark, before the Market Street expansion begins.
Two downtown spots opened this year and add new options for a meal before or after the plaza:
- Sakura Market at 184 S. Market Street held its grand opening on July 24, 2026. The Mercury News described its Japanese convenience-store format with sushi, a ramen bar and a matcha café. It is on the same street as the plaza, and it suits a quick dinner before an evening at the park.
- Strāta at 181 E. Santa Clara Street opened May 13, 2026, in the former Rollati space. It has a bar and lounge menu plus a separate dining room serving a seasonal prix-fixe menu. The Mercury News reported service Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. That makes it an option for a sit-down dinner on a Run 1 weeknight, when the rides open at 5.
On a weeknight in early December, the evening can be dinner on Market or Santa Clara Street, the plaza until 10 and the Paseo rides until they close. After December 19, the same plan can start at noon.
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