Make the most of the holiday season in Rancho Cordova with our event guide. From Rancho Cordova residents to wandering souls, our guide unveils the city's holiday charms.
Kick off your celebrations with Knott's Merry Farm, where festive decorations and seasonal treats create a welcoming atmosphere. Experience the community spirit at the Annual Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting, featuring an enchanting gathering to light up the town's Christmas tree. And don't forget the excitement of Light Up the Night, showcasing dazzling displays that are sure to brighten your holiday season. Check out the rest of the page for more details on these and other fun events and activities!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Rancho Cordova
- Knott's Merry Farm (Buena Park)
- Light Up the Night (Sacramento)
- Annual Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting
- Festival of Lights Parade (Sacramento)
- Holiday in the Park (Sacramento)
- Santa’s Workshop and Festival of Lights (Sacramento)
- Christmas Tree Lighting on Fulton Avenue (Sacramento)
- THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride (Perris)
- Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District Holiday Event (Sacramento)
- Arden Park Holiday Event (Sacramento)
See these and even more events listed below!
Rancho Cordova Holiday Light Displays
Fontana Tree-Lighting Ceremony
What to Expect:
Live entertainment and refreshments with a surprise visit from the North Pole.
Description:
The Fontana Tree-Lighting Ceremony is a family-friendly event featuring live entertainment, refreshments, and a surprise visit from the North Pole. It is a special occasion to kick off the holiday season with community spirit.
Where: Fontana | More Info: Fontana Tree-Lighting Ceremony
Christmas Nights at 123 Farm
What to Expect:
One million lights display in a historic lavender farm setting.
Description:
Christmas Nights at 123 Farm features over one million lights illuminating acres of lavender, olive groves, and historic buildings. Enjoy festive food and drinks, tractor wagon rides, s'mores pits, and Santa's Workshop. Explore charming cottage shops in the Organic Galleries and visit the life-size gingerbread house for hot chocolate.
Where: Cherry Valley | More Info: Christmas Nights at 123 Farm
Christmas Tree Lighting on Fulton Avenue
What to Expect:
Community celebration with festive music and a Christmas tree lighting.
Description:
The 16th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Fulton Avenue features music, entertainment, and a Christmas tree raffle. Enjoy fun games at Santa's Workshop and FREE coffee, cocoa, cookies, hotdogs, and chicken until supplies last.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Christmas Tree Lighting on Fulton Avenue
Santa’s Workshop and Festival of Lights
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday celebration with festive activities and treats.
Description:
The 16th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District features music, entertainment, and a Christmas tree raffle. Enjoy fun games at Santa's Workshop and indulge in FREE coffee, cocoa, cookies, hotdogs, and chicken until supplies last.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Santa’s Workshop and Festival of Lights
Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District Holiday Event
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration with music, entertainment, and a Christmas tree raffle.
Description:
The 16th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District features music, entertainment, and a Christmas tree raffle. Enjoy fun games at Santa's Workshop and complimentary refreshments like coffee, cocoa, cookies, hotdogs, and chicken until supplies last.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District Holiday Event
Rancho Cordova Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Holiday in the Park
What to Expect:
Community tree lighting with Santa and local music.
Description:
Join Arden Park Recreation and Park District for the 11th Annual Holiday in the Park, featuring Santa lighting the 17-foot tree, local music, and talent groups celebrating the holiday season. Pictures with Santa and hot chocolate will be available, along with crafts for kids.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Holiday in the Park
Festival of Lights Parade
What to Expect:
Live dramatization on balconies above K Street with special appearances by Jack Frost and St. Nick.
Description:
A free, family-friendly performance retelling "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in a uniquely Sacramento way on the rooftops of Old Sacramento Waterfront, featuring an immersive retelling of Moore's 1823 poem alongside stories of Sacramento pioneers' experiences in the 1850s.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Festival of Lights Parade
Astra Lumina LA
What to Expect:
Immersive light and sound experience amidst celestial pathways.
Description:
Astra Lumina LA is an immersive night walk experience using light, scenography, and original soundscape to create an imaginative world where visitors can encounter the wonder of the stars and connect with their own human light.
Where: Rancho Palos Verdes | More Info: Astra Lumina LA
Knott's Merry Farm
What to Expect:
Winter wonderland-inspired decorations and classic Christmas shows.
Description:
Knott's Merry Farm is a holiday celebration featuring winter wonderland-inspired decorations, thousands of twinkling lights, and miles of themed garland. Enjoy Christmas shows like Home for the Holidays, a musical revue with classic Christmas tunes and holiday lights. The event also includes a beloved ice show starring the Peanuts Gang and delectable holiday dining food. Guests can experience Santa's Christmas Cabin and a nightly Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Where: Buena Park | More Info: Knott's Merry Farm
A Charlie Brown Christmas with David Benoit
What to Expect:
Five-time Grammy nominee jazz pianist performing Vince Guaraldi's holiday classics.
Description:
Join David Benoit, a five-time Grammy nominee jazz pianist, and vocalist Courtney Fortune for an evening of Vince Guaraldi's cherished holiday songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas. This event is a must-see for families looking to get into the holiday spirit with timeless music that has charmed generations.
Where: Rancho Cucamonga | More Info: A Charlie Brown Christmas with David Benoit
Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico
What to Expect:
Rich cultural tapestry of Mexican Christmas traditions.
Description:
Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar and Ballet Folklorico del Rio Grande present Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico, a vibrant show weaving cherished Mexican traditions into a heartwarming story of the season. The event features the joyous rhythms of mariachi and colorful Mexican dance, capturing the spirit of Posadas, the majesty of the Reyes Magos, and the thrill of breaking piñatas.
Where: Rancho Cucamonga | More Info: Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday train ride with theatrical onboard entertainment.
Description:
Relive the classic holiday story of The Polar Express on a real train ride, featuring hot chocolate, cookies, and a reading of the book. Passengers will meet Santa and receive a silver sleigh bell as a gift.
Where: Perris | More Info: THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
Arden Park Holiday Event
What to Expect:
Community tree lighting with local performances and Santa meet-and-greets.
Description:
Celebrate the holiday season with a 17-foot tree lighting, local music, and talent groups at Arden Park. Enjoy hot chocolate and crafts for kids, and take pictures with Santa.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Arden Park Holiday Event
Rancho Cordova Holiday Giving Opportunities
Light Up the Night
What to Expect:
Community-driven fundraising walk for blood cancer research.
Description:
Light Up the Night is a community event where friends, families, schools, and corporate teams come together to celebrate, honor, and remember those touched by blood cancers. Funds raised support lifesaving research, advocacy, and support for blood cancer patients and their families.
Where: Sacramento | More Info: Light Up the Night
Rancho Cordova Other Holiday Activities
Annual Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting
What to Expect:
Community-driven holiday celebration with festive activities.
Description:
The Annual Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting is a public event that inspires community unity by showcasing Rancho Cordova community life and promoting local businesses. It features hay rides, a live nativity, food trucks, Santa Claus, train rides, and snow.
Where: Rancho Cordova | More Info: Annual Cordova Community Christmas Tree Lighting
Festival of Winter
What to Expect:
Snow play and train rides for all ages.
Description:
The Festival of Winter at Miller Park features train rides, rides and attractions, live entertainment, photo opportunities with Santa, and a variety of vendors and activity booths. It also includes snow play and a Tot Lot where children can experience snow for the first time.
Where: Fontana | More Info: Festival of Winter
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Carmichael (2 miles)
- Fair Oaks (4 miles)
- Rosemont (4 miles)
- Foothill Farms (7 miles)
- Orangevale (7 miles)
- North Highlands (8 miles)
- Citrus Heights (8 miles)
- Antelope (8 miles)
- Florin (9 miles)
- Vineyard (9 miles)
- Sacramento (10 miles)
- Roseville (11 miles)
- West Sacramento (12 miles)
- Elk Grove (13 miles)
- Laguna (13 miles)
- El Dorado Hills (14 miles)
- Granite Bay (14 miles)
- Rocklin (14 miles)
- Lincoln (21 miles)
- Galt (23 miles)
- Davis (24 miles)
- Woodland (26 miles)
- Lodi (32 miles)
- Vacaville (40 miles)
- Yuba City (42 miles)
- Stockton (44 miles)