Christmas in Lake Arrowhead

Santa's Village holiday season: dates and days open

SkyPark at Santa's Village in Skyforest switches to its holiday season from November 7, 2026 through January 10, 2027. The park's posted calendar shows it open on these days:

November: the opening weekend of November 6–8, then Thursday through Sunday each week, plus Monday–Wednesday of Thanksgiving week (November 23–25). Closed Thanksgiving Day, November 26. December: Thursday through Sunday through December 19, then every day from December 20 to 31 except Christmas Day, when it is closed. January: closed New Year's Day, open January 2–3, then Thursday through Sunday until the season ends January 10.

Hours on the calendar are generally 10am–6pm, running to 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Days the calendar doesn't list as open shouldn't be assumed open, so check the park's calendar for your exact date before you drive up.

Tickets, Santa visits and the tree lighting

Buy admission online in advance. The park calls the holiday season its busiest time of year, warns that tickets may sell out, and says same-day tickets are not guaranteed. Paid admission and a signed waiver are required for everyone who enters, including adults who are only watching. Check the online ticket page for your date's price.

Seeing Santa: visits can't be booked online or by phone. You make a reservation in person at the park on a first-come, first-served basis, or wait in the standby line, and the park says visits aren't guaranteed. Expect longer waits than usual.

Breakfast with Santa and Tea with Mrs. Claus are separate tickets bought online ahead of time, and each guest needs both a park ticket and their own Breakfast or Tea ticket for the same date.

Each evening the park is open there's a tree-lighting ceremony at the Village Tree, followed by the Village of Lights display set to music. The park says to check its entertainment schedule for showtimes when you arrive. More on the park itself is in the SkyPark at Santa's Village guide.

Will there be snow at Christmas?

Often, but don't count on it. Lake Arrowhead Village sits around 5,200 feet. December is when the first big storms usually arrive, but some years stay dry through the holidays. Santa's Village says the same: snow during your visit depends entirely on the weather.

If snow is the point of the trip, watch the forecast the week before and aim for a day or two after a storm. Then go to a groomed snow-play or tubing park rather than a highway turnout. The month-by-month pattern is in Lake Arrowhead in the snow.

Lake Arrowhead Village and the lake over the holidays

The Village waterfront is free to walk, with shops and restaurants that make an easy holiday afternoon. As of October 20 the Village's events calendar listed no 2026 holiday events of its own, only the holiday dates themselves, so check the Village events page closer to the season. On event nights the Village lots can fill and the approach roads back up; see Village parking.

The Lake Arrowhead Queen boat tour runs a winter schedule from Labor Day weekend to Memorial Day weekend, with departures at 11am, 12:30, 2 and 3:30pm. It doesn't post a separate holiday schedule, so call (909) 336-6992 to confirm a specific date.

Holiday traffic and chains

Christmas week and storm weekends are when the mountain highways are at their worst. A storm can put chain control on Highways 18 and 330 at the same time everyone is driving up for Santa's Village or the snow. Most controls are R2: chains are required on every vehicle except 4WD or AWD with snow tires on all four wheels, and those vehicles must still carry chains.

Check roads.dot.ca.gov or Caltrans QuickMap before you leave, start early, and bring a full tank, water and warm layers in case you're stuck in traffic. Routes and control levels are explained in the chains & road conditions guide. Staying over makes a holiday visit far easier; see where to stay.