Thanksgiving weekend is a great time for a California getaway, especially when the destination has something happening specifically for the holiday.
In 2026, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26. Many California towns start their holiday celebrations the next day, so you can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and then spend the rest of the long weekend at Christmas markets, tree lightings, turkey trots, and other seasonal events.
Here are 7 places where Thanksgiving weekend gives you an extra reason to visit.
1. Solvang
Solvang is one of the best places to spend Thanksgiving weekend if you want to go straight from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season.
On Thanksgiving Day, Craft House at Corque is hosting a Thanksgiving buffet from noon to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
The next day, Solvang Julefest begins on Friday, November 27. Downtown Solvang will have a nightly Light & Music Show in Solvang Park, with shows every hour from 5 to 9 p.m. You can also follow clues around downtown for the Nisser Adventure, a scavenger hunt for Danish gnomes hidden around town.
If you stay through Saturday, November 28, Christmas carolers will perform around downtown from 5 to 8 p.m. Santa’s Village is also open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Note: Solvang’s main Julefest Tree Lighting and parade take place the following weekend, December 4–5. Thanksgiving weekend is the opening weekend of Julefest, but not the big tree-lighting weekend.
2. Bass Lake
Bass Lake has one of the fullest Thanksgiving-weekend schedules on this list.
You can start with Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 26. The Lakeview Room at The Pines Resort has a Thanksgiving buffet, while Ducey’s on the Lake has a three-course Thanksgiving meal. Both require or recommend reservations.
Then the holiday events begin.
On Friday, November 27, the Bass Lake Jingle Bash starts at 5 p.m. at The Pines Village. Decorated golf carts parade through the village beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Christmas tree lighting.
The Thanksgiving Weekend Art & Craft Fair also runs Friday through Sunday at The Pines Resort, with handmade jewelry, pottery, art, candles, food, and other locally made items.
On Saturday, November 28, Bass Lake holds its separate 35th annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Parade of Lights from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
You can also add the Holiday Magic Train at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in nearby Fish Camp, which runs throughout Thanksgiving weekend.
3. Coronado
If you want Thanksgiving traditions without giving up California beach weather, go to Coronado.
The holiday season at Hotel del Coronado begins November 20, so many of its major holiday experiences are already running by Thanksgiving weekend. On Thanksgiving Day, the hotel serves a Thanksgiving buffet inside its historic Crown Room.
After dinner, the weekend can feel more like Christmas by the beach.
The Del’s Skating by the Sea brings an outdoor ice rink next to the Pacific Ocean. Its nightly Lightshow Spectacular runs every 30 minutes from 5 to 9 p.m., and the new Holiday Lodge is offered on select dates beginning November 25, with holiday décor, food, shopping, and activities for kids.
4. Grass Valley
For an old-fashioned holiday weekend, head to Grass Valley.
The 58th annual Cornish Christmas begins on Friday, November 27, the night after Thanksgiving. Downtown Grass Valley turns into a Christmas street fair from 6 to 9 p.m.
You can walk through downtown while Victorian-dressed carolers perform, browse craft and food vendors, drink hot cider, eat roasted chestnuts, see the Christmas tree, and visit Santa.
Cornish Christmas continues on Friday nights through December 18, but Thanksgiving weekend is opening night.
5. Cambria
Cambria is another destination where Thanksgiving weekend lines up perfectly with the start of a major Christmas event.
The Cambria Christmas Market opens Friday, November 27, and its first weekend runs through Sunday, November 29. The event is open from 5 to 9 p.m.
The German-inspired market has more than 3 million Christmas lights, artisan vendors, live music, festive food and drinks, fire pits, Santa, and train rides through the light displays.
You can spend Thanksgiving Day enjoying the Central Coast, then make the Christmas Market the main event on Friday or Saturday night.
This is one Thanksgiving weekend activity I would book ahead. The market says many nights sell out, and tickets cost more at the door if any are still available.
6. Dana Point
If your family would rather start Thanksgiving by running than sitting down for breakfast, Dana Point has one of California’s biggest Thanksgiving traditions.
The 49th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot takes place Thanksgiving morning, November 26, at Dana Point Harbor.
There are 5K and 10K races, a combined 15K option, and a one-mile Gobble Wobble for kids ages 2 to 12. There’s also a costume contest and a health and fitness expo.
The 10K starts at 7 a.m., followed by several 5K start times beginning at 8:30 a.m. The kids’ race starts at 10:30 a.m.
7. Apple Hill
Thanksgiving weekend marks a change of seasons at Apple Hill.
Apple season may be winding down, but the area’s Christmas tree farms start taking over. Some open earlier in November, while several open around the day after Thanksgiving.
Spend Thanksgiving weekend picking out a Christmas tree, drinking hot apple cider, buying pies and local treats, and visiting farms before heading home.
Several Apple Hill farms offer choose-and-cut trees. Hacienda Orchards and Hillside Tree Farm begin their Christmas tree seasons the day after Thanksgiving. Silverthorn Meadows also opens the day after Thanksgiving.
Not every farm follows the same schedule, so check the farm you want to visit before driving out.
Which California Thanksgiving Weekend Getaway Should You Choose?
For the most packed Thanksgiving-weekend itinerary, Bass Lake has Thanksgiving dining, a craft fair, two nights of holiday celebrations, and nearby seasonal activities.
Choose Solvang, Cambria, or Grass Valley if you want Thanksgiving weekend to double as the start of the Christmas season. Pick Coronado if you want holiday events with a beach setting, or Dana Point if a Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot sounds more fun than a Christmas market.
And if your family likes getting the Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, Apple Hill is hard to beat.
Whichever you choose, make reservations early for Thanksgiving meals, hotels, and ticketed events. Several of these events have limited space, and popular Thanksgiving-weekend dates can book up quickly.
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