"After 21 years, we've seen kids grow up on this ice and come back with families of their own," Kathy Hemmenway, executive director of the Walnut Creek Business Association, said in the Walnut Creek Downtown release announcing this year's rink. That rink opens Friday, November 20. The same evening, Civic Park lights its holiday tree.
The holiday season in downtown Walnut Creek runs on two calendars, and Civic Park lights its tree first. Santa arrives at Broadway Plaza on November 14, but the Plaza holds its own parade and tree lighting on December 3. That leaves almost two weeks in between, and the Plaza is still using that time to move stores around. Some new shops have already opened, some tenants have changed spaces, and several storefronts still carry Coming Soon signs with no dates. The holidays you plan for this year will look a little different from last year's, and the differences are worth knowing before the first weekend of skating.
Civic Park Gets a Preview on October 23
Civic Park's season starts a month early. The City's Walnut Creek Trunk or Treat runs Friday, October 23, from 3 to 6 p.m. in the park. The first hour, 3 to 4 p.m., is set aside as a low-sensory session. The general event follows from 4 to 6 p.m. The details are on the Walnut Creek Arts & Recreation event page.
Four weeks later, the same lawn hosts the two biggest kickoffs of the downtown season on one night.
November 20 Does Double Duty
Walnut Creek on Ice opens for its 21st season on Friday, November 20, at Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive. It runs through January 18, 2027. Walnut Creek Downtown bills it as the Bay Area's only outdoor ice rink and ice slide. The rink itself is covered, and the slide is the 90-foot Frosty's Summit Ice Slide.
The release lists what returns this year:
- Open skating and the ice slide
- Private fire pits for warming up between sessions
- The Ice-Skating Academy and hockey classes throughout the season
- Wednesday morning Littles Skates for the youngest skaters, including a special morning visit from Santa
Tickets, hours, class information and reservations are handled through WalnutCreekOnIce.com, per the release. Check session times and pricing there before you go, especially for weekend and holiday visits. The event's Walnut Creek Downtown page also points to booking.
The same Friday, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place in Civic Park at 1375 Civic Drive. It is free and open to the public, with complimentary hot cocoa, holiday carolers and a visit from Frosty the Snowman. The tree is lit as the sun goes down. Walnut Creek Downtown posts the full tree lighting listing on its events page.
With the rink's opening day and the tree lighting on the same evening, November 20 is the easiest night of the season to plan around. You can catch the lighting at 5:30 and then head to the ice afterward, without making a second trip downtown.
Broadway Plaza Keeps Its Own Calendar
Broadway Plaza's season starts with Santa, then builds toward its own lighting. All of its events stay inside the shopping center, most of them along Broadway Plaza Street.
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 14 | Santa visits begin | Near True Food Kitchen. Visits are free, photo packages cost extra, walk-ins welcome |
| Saturday, November 21 | Once Upon a Street: Evergreen & Elegance | Broadway Plaza Street, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Saturday, November 28 | Makers Market Outdoor Market | Broadway Plaza Street between Nordstrom and Macy's, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free |
| Thursday, December 3 | Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting | Throughout Broadway Plaza, 6 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, December 19 | Makers Market Outdoor Market | Same Broadway Plaza Street location, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free |
The Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting is the Plaza's main event. Its listing promises music, entertainment, a parade and a tree-lighting ceremony led by Santa Claus. It falls on a Thursday evening, almost two weeks after the Civic Park tree is already lit. Once Upon a Street, on November 21, lands the day after Civic Park's opening night. Both Makers Markets fall on Saturdays and feature local makers and live music.
The Plaza that hosts these events this year has changed since last December, and it is still changing.
What Has Already Opened Downtown
Since early summer, several new shops have opened in downtown Walnut Creek, and two have moved:
- Milky Flakes, an ice cream shop at 1399 N. Main St., was open by early July, Beyond the Creek reported.
- Taqueria Extra & Cantina finished its move to 1359 Locust St. and was open in its new spot by mid-July, according to Beyond the Creek.
- Läderach Chocolate opened at Broadway Plaza by mid-August.
- VICI, a women's fashion brand, returned to 1366 N. Main St. Patch reported a planned September 10 opening and a September 12 grand opening, and VICI's own store directory now lists the Walnut Creek shop with hours.
- Saatva opened a mattress showroom at 1619 Mt. Diablo Blvd. by mid-September.
- The BOBA Lounge opened at Broadway Pointe by late September, Beyond the Creek reported.
- State & Liberty spent part of October in a temporary space inside Broadway Plaza during a renovation. It was back in its original location by October 13.
On a skating night, that means two new stops for something sweet, Läderach and Milky Flakes, plus a relocated taqueria on Locust and a boba shop at Broadway Pointe. None of them were part of last year's downtown holiday routine.
The Storefronts Still Waiting on a Date
Four announced arrivals have no opening date yet. As of mid-October, the Broadway Plaza directory and the businesses' own sites still show them as coming soon.
| Business | Space | Status as of mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Sur la Table | Broadway Plaza, former P.F. Chang's space | Directory shows Coming Soon, no date |
| The North Face | Moving within Broadway Plaza into the former White House Black Market space | Directory shows Coming Soon, no date |
| Rowan | Broadway Plaza, former Aveda space | Studio page and hours read Coming Soon |
| Salt & Lime | 1521 N. Main St., former Oyama Sushi | Site reads Coming Soon |
Beyond the Creek described Sur la Table's arrival as a return to Broadway Plaza after several years away, in the space next door to where P.F. Chang's used to be. The North Face's move was announced as a fall relocation. Rowan is an ear-piercing studio and jewelry shop.
Salt & Lime is planned as a full-service Mexican restaurant with Chelsea Ozuna leading the kitchen. As of October 2, the Bay Area Telegraph said no firm opening date could be verified.
Any of the four could open before the Makers Markets or the December 3 parade, or after. For now, holiday plans that depend on one of them, like a Sur la Table gift run or a dinner reservation at Salt & Lime, should stay flexible.
One more change is further off. Raising Cane's is planned for 2955 N. Main St. in the former Wendy's, and the East Bay Times reports an early-2027 projection. It won't be part of this holiday season.
If November 20 is going on your family calendar, or if you're hosting relatives who remember downtown Walnut Creek from a few years ago, I'm happy to share what has changed around Civic Park and Broadway Plaza and where the season's best evenings are. When you're ready to talk about your own plans, Heidi Kugl is glad to help. Schedule a Consultation.
