Roseville's holidays in 2026 split across two hubs, and they work on different schedules. The Galleria and Fountains corridor on Roseville Parkway starts on a Saturday before Thanksgiving and stays mostly on weekends through December 20. Downtown and Historic Old Town Roseville hold most of their season on three weeknights in a row, December 2 through 4, at Vernon Street Town Square. So the practical question for a Roseville household is which weekend at the corridor and which weeknight downtown.
The corridor also has a complication this year. Its holiday weekends will be the first since construction started on two large projects around the Galleria.
October already shows the split
The fall calendar points to the same pattern before any trees go up. At the Fountains, the free Howl-O-Ween Costume Show & Pawrade is Saturday, October 17, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Courtyard at 1013 Galleria Blvd. Registration is full, but spectators are welcome. Costumes & Candy follows on Thursday, October 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the same address, with costumed characters handing out candy to kids in costume.
On the downtown side, the Falling Leaf Food & Crafts Festival is Sunday, October 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry is free and more than 100 vendors are listed. The organizer's latest update moves it from Vernon Street Square to Maidu Park, but the event page's venue field still shows 311 Vernon St. Before heading out that morning, check the Downtown Roseville event listing to confirm the venue.
For a smaller night out, a DRACULA performance in Roseville is listed for Friday, October 16, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roseville Host Lions Clubhouse, 107 Sutter Ave.
The Galleria side opens early and runs long
The corridor's season starts with the Fountains Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, November 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. The tree is lit at 5:15 p.m., and the evening includes carols, crafts and a walk past decorated trees at 1013 Galleria Blvd. That is five days before Thanksgiving and twelve days before the City's own tree lighting downtown.
The events after that are spread across the following weeks:
- Photos with Santa at Nordstrom run November 27 through December 20, 2026, according to the Nordstrom Galleria at Roseville store page. Sessions are scheduled only on November 27–29, December 5–6, December 11–13 and December 19–20. Each of those blocks falls on a Friday-to-Sunday or Saturday-to-Sunday stretch, starting the day after Thanksgiving.
- Fountains Elf Quest runs December 1–12. Pick up a card at Guest Services, find the elves hidden in participating businesses, and turn in the completed card for a gift-card drawing.
- Pet Pictures with Santa is December 5–6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Pet Food Express, 1009 Galleria Blvd. A $25 donation includes a flash drive of the photos.
Westfield Galleria at Roseville hadn't posted its holiday plans as of mid-October. The mall's hours page shows only regular hours at 1151 Galleria Blvd.: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Its events page lists one event, an October 17 Kings event, and no mall-wide Santa set yet.
A holiday season with the promenade under construction
This season is different because of the Galleria's western promenade. Westfield is rebuilding that outdoor stretch as "The Trails." The City of Roseville's April–June 2026 City Manager quarterly report says work began in May 2026. That makes the 2026 holidays the first shopping season with the project underway.
Westfield's project page for The Trails says the mall and the promenade favorites stay open during construction. It names Q1227, World Traveler Coffee Roasters, Il Fornaio and Ruth's Chris. Earlier, ABC10 reported that Il Fornaio and Ruth's Chris were expected to stay open with access through the Promenade Garage. That was a construction plan when it was reported. No published source yet confirms how garage access works today. If a December dinner reservation depends on it, call the restaurant to confirm.
The new tenants are still a future season's story. Westfield now lists Arhaus, Bacio di Latte, Design Within Reach, Doppio Zero, King's Fish House and Sweetgreen for The Trails. Bacio di Latte is the newest addition, announced in a Sacramento Business Journal report on October 8. The published timelines don't fully agree. Westfield's page says "Coming Summer 2027," the City's quarterly report anticipated completion in spring 2027, and a May 19 Sacramento Business Journal report said incoming tenants were expected to open in June 2027. None of the tenants has an individual opening date.
The second project is on the roads leading to the mall. The City's Roseville Parkway Widening project covers the stretch between Gibson Drive and Creekside Ridge Drive. Phase 1 includes a third left-turn lane from southbound Pleasant Grove Boulevard onto eastbound Roseville Parkway and a third left-turn lane from northbound Galleria Boulevard onto westbound Roseville Parkway. The City says Phase 1 continues through early 2027 and promises "a construction moratorium during the holiday shopping season." The page gives no start or end date for that pause. The most recent construction notice posted there is for overnight lane closures on southbound Pleasant Grove Boulevard on September 23–25, which have already passed. The City's newsletter link on the project page is the place to watch for updates.
Downtown fits its season into three weeknights
Downtown's schedule is much shorter. Food Truck Mania at Vernon Street Town Square on Thursday, November 12, starting at 5 p.m., comes first, and then the City's Downtown Holiday Celebration lands in one week.
- Wednesday, December 2, Tree Grove, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Local businesses, organizations and schools decorate trees around the square. The grove lights up, and the evening includes crafts, holiday music, Santa and local vendors.
- Thursday, December 3, Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free, and the City's tree is lit at about 6:10 p.m. Cookie decorating, Santa, a kids' activity zone, music and food trucks from Sacto MoFo are part of the evening.
- Friday, December 4, North Pole Tavern, 6 to 8 p.m. A $12 ticket covers six wine and beer tastings.
The Gingerbread House Contest overlaps those three nights and runs a week past them. Entries are on display in the lobby of 316 Vernon Street from December 2 to 11, and the City also takes votes online for anyone who can't stop by.
Here are both calendars together:
| Date | Day | Event | Hub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 12 | Thursday | Food Truck Mania | Downtown |
| Nov. 21 | Saturday | Fountains Tree Lighting, 5:15 p.m. | Galleria corridor |
| Nov. 27–29 | Fri.–Sun. | Nordstrom Photos with Santa | Galleria corridor |
| Dec. 1–12 | Daily | Fountains Elf Quest | Galleria corridor |
| Dec. 2 | Wednesday | Tree Grove | Downtown |
| Dec. 2–11 | Daily | Gingerbread House Contest, 316 Vernon St. | Downtown |
| Dec. 3 | Thursday | City Christmas Tree Lighting, about 6:10 p.m. | Downtown |
| Dec. 4 | Friday | North Pole Tavern | Downtown |
| Dec. 5–6 | Sat.–Sun. | Nordstrom Santa; Pet Pictures with Santa | Galleria corridor |
| Dec. 11–13 | Fri.–Sun. | Nordstrom Photos with Santa | Galleria corridor |
| Dec. 19–20 | Sat.–Sun. | Nordstrom Photos with Santa | Galleria corridor |
Downtown's three nights fall between the Fountains tree lighting and the second weekend of Nordstrom Santa sessions, and Elf Quest runs at the Fountains the whole time. None of the downtown evenings land on the same day as a Nordstrom Santa session or a Fountains tree event.
Downtown parking, as of this fall
Parking for the December weeknights is the one area where older information could steer you wrong. The tree-lighting parking map linked from the City's holiday page is a 2024 file. Use the current guidance instead. The free City garages are at 405 Vernon St., 200 Oak St. and 424 Oak St., and Downtown Roseville's getting-here page links to a parking map dated August 2026.
The surface lot at the corner of Lincoln and Main is still in use. The City's Historic Old Town Roseville Parking Q&A, dated August 19, 2026, explains that the lot at 400 Lincoln St. is privately owned. It also says the City's lease with the owner was renewed in September 2026 and that the public may park there when visiting Old Town.
More parking is under construction. The Historic Old Town Parking Improvement Project adds a 127-space surface lot north of the existing Lincoln and Pacific Street lot, west of the rail yard, with an alley connection to Lincoln. Construction was scheduled to begin this fall and finish in spring 2027. That means it won't be open for this year's tree lighting, but the work may be visible near the rail yard during the December events.
Downtown also has an upcoming opening to watch on Vernon Street. Old Town Pizza at 320 Vernon St. has had several opening targets. Earlier ABC10 coverage said March 2026. Downtown Roseville's June update said late September and listed a rooftop bar and basement venue as Phase 2. A July Sacramento Business Journal preview gave a mid-September target. None of the sources we reviewed confirms that it has opened. If you're hoping to eat there before the tree lighting, check with the restaurant directly.
To find out how the Galleria corridor projects or the Old Town parking changes affect a particular street, Daniel Valdez and our Roseville specialists can walk you through it. Talk to a local real estate expert.
