At 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, the Camarillo Christmas Parade leaves Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road, beside Camarillo Village Square. It heads down Las Posas, turns onto Carmen Drive and ends at Community Center Park on East Burnley Street. Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District expects it to run an hour and a half to two hours. Santa's Village closes at 2 p.m. Two hours later, across town on Ventura Boulevard, vendor booths open in the front lot of Studio Channel Islands Art Center at 2222 Ventura Boulevard. By 5 p.m. the back lot holds more than 30 tons of real snow.
The gap is built into the calendar. Camarillo's holiday season comes from two kinds of organizers working on two schedules. The park district runs daytime events at Community Center Park, and its biggest one, the parade, is free and sponsored by the City of Camarillo. The Camarillo Merchant Association runs ticketed evening events, and the proceeds go back into Old Town programs. On both of December's big Saturdays, the park district's events finish before the merchants' evening events start.
Who is throwing which party
The organizer tells you most of what you need to know about an event: when it runs, whether it costs anything, and where to park.
| Organizer | Event | Date | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District | Christmas Parade & Santa's Village | Sat., Dec. 12 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Free |
| Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District | Cookies with the Clauses | Sat., Dec. 5 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | $10 per participant |
| Camarillo Merchant Association | Old Town Glow Holiday Walk | Sat., Dec. 5 | 5–8 p.m. | $20 presale general admission; under 14 free |
| Camarillo Merchant Association | Old Town Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village | Sat., Dec. 12 | 4–9 p.m. | Vendor village free; snow area $15 presale |
| Studio Channel Islands Art Center | 20th Annual Holiday Art Market | Dec. 4–6 | Varies by day | Free admission and parking |
| Camarillo Ranch Foundation | Christmas at the Ranch with Santa | Tue.–Wed., Dec. 1–2 | 4–8 p.m. | Free; $20 professional Santa photo |
The parade has been a park district event since 2004, according to The Camarillo Acorn. This year's theme is "A Coastal Christmas," per the district's entry application. Old Town Glow is the newer series. The Camarillo Acorn called the 2023 edition the fourth annual Glow and reported that roughly 400 families came the year before. The merchant association says ticket sales from both Glow nights "support events, activities, and programs throughout Old Town Camarillo." In practice, a Glow ticket helps fund the next Old Town event.
The art center that hosts both Old Town weekends
Studio Channel Islands is on Old Town's December calendar three separate times. Its 20th Annual Holiday Art Market runs December 4 through 6. More than 40 artists-in-residence and guest artists sell their work, and admission and parking are free. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The galleries and artists' studios are open to visitors during the market. On Sunday, December 6, a holiday concert called "A Jet Set Christmas!" follows the market from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 5, the market's longest day, is also the night of the Glow Holiday Walk on Ventura Boulevard. A week later, the same campus hosts the Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village. Studio Channel Islands is also on the merchant association's Holiday Lighting Contest ballot. In total, the art center has a role in Old Town's two largest December weekends.
Saturday, December 5, from cookies to carolers
December 5 runs from a morning at the Community Center to an evening on Ventura Boulevard. The art market's Saturday hours overlap the other three events, so it works as a stop between any of them.
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Cookies with the Clauses in the Community Center Auditorium, 1605 E. Burnley St. It includes cookie decorating, crafts, letters to Santa and photos, at $10 per participating person. December 5 is also the last day of the district's Letters to Santa program, which started November 16. Santa answers by mail before Christmas if the letter includes a return address.
- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.: the Holiday Art Market at Studio Channel Islands, free to enter.
- 1 to 4 p.m.: the Very Merry Holiday Event by Toys"R"Us at Camarillo Premium Outlets, 740 E. Ventura Blvd. Simon+ members get Santa photos, a prize wheel, children's activities and a visit from Geoffrey the Giraffe.
- 5 to 8 p.m.: the Old Town Glow Holiday Walk on Ventura Boulevard. Everyone checks in at the Camarillo Merchant Association office, 2195 Ventura Blvd.
The Holiday Walk is the more complicated purchase of the two Glow nights. Every guest needs a ticket, including children. Kids under 14 get in free, but parents need to register each child so participating businesses can plan how many treats to prepare. General admission costs $20 in advance or $30 at the door. It covers holiday drinks and treats from Old Town businesses, a vote in the lighting contest, a costume contest, carolers and 10 giveaway tickets. The all-inclusive ticket is for guests 21 and older. It costs $40 in advance or $50 at the door and adds more than 15 tastings of wine, beer and spirits. Santa is on the boulevard from 6 to 8 p.m., along with what the Camarillo Merchant Association's event page calls "our favorite grumpy green guy." The walk happens rain or shine, and tickets are non-refundable.
Saturday, December 12, parade route to snow lot
The second Saturday splits more neatly than the first. The parade and Santa's Village fill the morning at Community Center Park, with chairs and blankets along the curb, food trucks, vendor booths, crafts and an inflatable. Admission is free. The schedule has a few points that matter if you are coming with small children:
- Santa photos start at 12:30 p.m. That time can shift depending on when the parade ends.
- The Community Center parking lot opens to the public at 12:30 p.m., and spaces are limited.
- The day closes with an awards announcement from 1:40 to 2 p.m.
The Old Town Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village picks up two hours later at Studio Channel Islands. The front lot opens at 4 p.m. with more than 30 vendor booths, food trucks and carolers, and it is free to walk through. Check-in for the back Holiday Snow Village opens at 5 p.m. That ticket covers the snow, a holiday train ride, Santa photos from 6 to 9 p.m., free face painting, a costume contest, an obstacle course and live music from 6:30 p.m. Snow Village tickets are $15 in advance. At the door they cost $20 by card or $15 in cash, and every guest needs one regardless of age. Adults with a valid photo ID can buy drinks at a 21+ bar or try the $20 Wine Pull for a surprise bottle.
On December 12, the free civic event and the paid merchant event can both fit into one Saturday with a long lunch in between.
The weeknights and edges around the two Saturdays
A few events fall outside the two Saturdays and make the rest of the calendar easier to plan.
The ranch on a Tuesday and Wednesday. The Camarillo Ranch Foundation holds Christmas at the Ranch with Santa on December 1 and 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 201 Camarillo Ranch Road. Admission is free. The Camarillo Ranch House is decorated for the season, and the tour includes the Ranch Workers Exhibit. Santa's Workshop is in the Red Barn, with Victorian carolers and local craft vendors nearby. A professional photo with Santa costs $20. Families who would rather skip the Saturday Santa lines have two weeknight options here.
The tree farm on Somis Road. Hagle Tree Farm, 3100 Somis Road, opens its cut-your-own season at 10 a.m. on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The season runs through December 22. Weekend hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekday hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Santa is there on opening day and on weekends, per Visit Camarillo.
A dinner dance for ages 50 and up. The park district's Snowflake Soirée is Friday, December 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Community Center Auditorium. It includes dinner, dancing and live music by Seniors Of Note, and registration is $5.
The storefronts on the lighting ballot
The Holiday Lighting Contest gives the Holiday Walk a reason to cover the length of the boulevard. Guests vote for up to three favorites for best lighting and decoration. The merchant association's ballot lists American Pie Records Coffee House, Tree Lounge Coffee, Twisted Oak Tavern, Topa Topa Brewing Co., Cafe Ficelle, Twenty88 Bistro, El Rey Cantina, BLVD BRGR Co., The Wine Closet, Green Goddess Boutique, House of Bamboo, Revolution Board Company, Kraft Vermicelli and Bella Capri Inn & Suites with its Old Town Café, along with Studio Channel Islands and the association's own office. The giveaway baskets and gift cards in the raffle come from more than 20 Old Town businesses.
Presale prices are lower for both Glow nights, and the merchant association office at 2195 Ventura Blvd also takes cash ticket purchases.
At Hitchcock & Associates, we follow how Camarillo's calendar fits together because it is part of knowing a neighborhood well. If you are curious what your home near Old Town or the Community Center might be worth this season, request a complimentary home valuation and we will tell you what we are seeing on your street.
