"We envision families strolling through a beautiful holiday village, discovering unique gifts, enjoying festive activities and then gathering for the Heritage Tree Lighting," Encinitas Chamber of Commerce CEO Carol Knight said in a news release reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. That village goes up on Friday, Dec. 4, in part of the Moonlight Beach parking lot.
On most December Fridays, that lot is simply where you leave the car. This year the first evening of the holiday weekend takes place there, and that one change touches the whole weekend. It affects when you should arrive, where you'll park, and how Friday leads into Saturday's parade and Sunday's gathering in Cardiff.
A market in the lot
The Encinitas Holiday Village & Market is new for 2026. It runs from 2 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 and is free to attend. The Chamber is producing it with the Encinitas Historical Society and the City of Encinitas. It is modeled on European Christmas markets and set up for about 20 vendors selling handmade gifts, jewelry, candles, holiday décor, specialty foods and children's gifts.
The announced lineup includes:
- Strolling carolers
- Hot chocolate and warm cider
- Gingerbread house decorating for kids and families
- A holiday photo backdrop and children's activities
- A Visit Encinitas and Encinitas Chamber information booth
The timing is deliberate. The Union-Tribune reports that the market was "designed to enhance the Heritage Tree Lighting celebration by encouraging families to arrive early, stay longer." A tree lighting used to be a single evening moment. Now it sits inside a five-hour afternoon, and the crowd builds from 2 p.m. instead of arriving all at once near dark.
Vendor booths cost $200, with preference going to Chamber members. Local businesses that want in can still reach the Chamber at [email protected], though space is limited.
The tree is on C Street, and the gathering is on B
The Heritage Tree isn't in the Moonlight Beach lot. It's a Norfolk Island pine at the corner of 4th Street and C Street, planted in 1952 and now more than 90 feet tall, according to the Encinitas Historical Society. The Society has organized the lighting every year since 2015, with support from the city.
The celebration itself was already held in the Moonlight Beach lot last year. For 2026, the proposed agreement in a City Council agenda packet lists the event for 4 to 7 p.m. at 400 B Street, which is the Moonlight Beach address. In its March 24 request to the city, the Society said the tree would be lit at 6 p.m.
On Friday, the market opens at 2, the tree-lighting festivities start at 4, the lights come on around 6, and the market wraps up at 7. Arrive at 5:30 for the lighting and you'll be coming into a lot that has been busy for three and a half hours.
Three days, three organizers, two downtowns
For the first time, the Chamber's market gives Encinitas a holiday program that runs three days in a row. The Union-Tribune describes it as the start of a weekend that continues with the parade and Kringle Mingle. Each day is run by a different group, though, and the weekend ends in Cardiff.
- Friday, Dec. 4. The Holiday Village & Market runs 2 to 7 p.m., with Heritage Tree Lighting festivities from 4 p.m. in the Moonlight Beach lot. The Chamber, the Encinitas Historical Society and the city put it on together.
- Saturday, Dec. 5. The Encinitas Holiday Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. on South Coast Highway 101 between D and J streets. This year's theme is "40 and Still Fabulous." Entry applications close Nov. 13, so groups that want to march still have about a week from this post's publication.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. The Cardiff Kringle Mingle runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aberdeen Drive in Cardiff, hosted by Cardiff 101 Main Street. It's free and includes a local makers market, children's crafts, live music and holiday treats. Surfing Santa takes photos in a vintage Camera Camper from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The preview comes two weeks earlier. Encinitas 101 MainStreet's Holiday Street Fair takes over downtown on Sunday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair spreads across six blocks of South Coast Highway 101 in Old Encinitas.
That gives downtown four big holiday days in a little over two weeks. Two of them, Nov. 22 and Dec. 5, close Coast Highway 101 itself. One of them, Dec. 4, fills a parking lot.
Where the cars go instead
The city describes Moonlight Beach as having "plenty of free parking," with lot hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Dec. 4, part of that lot holds booths, so the market's announced overflow is the Pacific View Arts Center. Here's how the main downtown options stand ahead of the weekend.
| Location | Status heading into December 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Moonlight Beach lot, 400 B St. | Free per the city; part of it hosts the market on Dec. 4 | City of Encinitas |
| Pacific View Arts Center | Named overflow parking for the Dec. 4 market | Union-Tribune |
| City Hall and Encinitas Coaster Station lots | Listed by Encinitas 101 as Street Fair parking, along with Moonlight Beach | Encinitas 101 |
| Pacific Station underground garage | Charges when a vehicle stays longer than one hour | Union-Tribune |
| The Lumberyard | Paid-parking signs posted in September; fee program not launched as of late-September reports | The Coast News |
The city hasn't posted 2026 road-closure times, parking lots or shuttle details for the parade yet. Last year's setup gives a sense of the scale. For the 2025 parade, the city closed Coast Highway 101 at 4 p.m. and offered free parking at San Dieguito Academy and Ecke Sports Park/YMCA. Free shuttles ran about every 20 minutes from 4 p.m. to the NCTD bus station on Vulcan Avenue, with last downtown pickups at 8:30 p.m., according to the city's 2025 announcement. That was last year's plan. Check the parade page for 2026 details before Saturday.
The Lumberyard question mark
The Lumberyard runs along the east side of Coast Highway 101 just south of Pacific Station. It's the closest large shopping-center lot to the parade route's middle stretch. In September, Cornerstone Property Management, which operates the center, put up signs saying paid parking was "coming soon."
The posted terms read slightly differently depending on the outlet. The Union-Tribune reported $3 an hour or $20 a day, with the first two hours free for customers who get a validation code from a Lumberyard business. The Coast News reported a $20 flat rate good until 11 p.m., rates that vary by demand, and a $45 daily maximum. Under its reading, drivers pay first and get the first two hours refunded after validating inside a participating business.
In the Union-Tribune's Sept. 23 story, a Cornerstone representative said "parking is currently still free" and the program had not launched yet. Six days later, The Coast News reported that city officials said the plan may conflict with Encinitas Municipal Code Section 30.54.020(F). That section covers required off-street parking being available without charge. At press time, a city spokesperson said it was unclear whether Cornerstone had applied for permits.
So as of the latest reporting, the question is open. If you shop at the Lumberyard during the Street Fair or before the parade, read the signs at the entrance that day and keep any validation instructions handy.
Building the weekend around the lots
Taken together, the schedule points to a few practical moves:
- Friday: Arrive during the market's early hours if you want both the booths and the lighting. Pacific View Arts Center is the named overflow lot.
- Saturday: Expect the parade to close Coast Highway 101 between D and J streets before the 5:30 p.m. start. Watch the city's parade page for this year's shuttle plan.
- Sunday: The Kringle Mingle wraps up at 2 p.m. on Aberdeen Drive, so Surfing Santa photos fit in a late-morning trip to Cardiff.
- Nov. 22: For the Street Fair, Encinitas 101 lists the City Hall, Moonlight Beach and Encinitas Coaster Station lots.
If the holiday weekend has you weighing how close to Coast Highway 101 your next home should be, or what a short walk to the Moonlight Beach lot is worth when you sell, Klinge Realty can go through it with you street by street. Schedule a Free Home Strategy Consultation, and we'll talk it over before the parade.
