Treasure Valley Christmas Calendar 2018
You don't have to look very far to find Christmas cheer in the Treasure Valley in the weeks leading up to Santa's big day! From tree lightings and parades to Christmas movies and ice skating, there's something for everyone!
To learn more about an event, click its name to get the full details on what you need to make that day merry and bright! We'll add more to the calendar over the coming weeks!
Know of something Christmas-y we missed? Click HERE to submit the title of the event, a brief description and link to the event. We'll be happy to add it to the list!
This is Boise’s most unique shopping experience! Featuring local winter produce, fresh northwest cranberries, holiday wreaths and floral arrangements, Idaho specialty foods & wines, handmade cards, art, and so much more.
Santa arrives at the Boise Towne Square Mall on November 9th and will be available for photos daily through Christmas Eve. Want to experience more than just a visit and photo with Santa? Come for one of the special themed nights like Grandparents night, PJ night or Ugly Sweater Night.
Santa arrives to light as the giant Christmas tree in Fountain Square lights up at the Village at Meridian. Jake Gill from NBC's The Voice will warm you up with the sounds of the holiday season. The event begins at 6:00 p.m.
The City of Caldwell will flip the switch on nearly one milion lights that they've strung across the beautiful Indian Creek Plaza and actual creek. In addition to the lighting, the festival includes live music, Santa's Workshop, Kiddy Train Ride, Kid's Winter Playland, Train Depot Open House, Food, Toys and more! Whether permitting, you may be lucky enough to take a spin around the new ice ribbon!
Nov 16: Scentsy Commons Christmas Lights Ceremony
More than 450 trees will be wrapped with over 43 miles of beautiful Christmas lights! The scented wax empire will flip the switch to turn the lights on at 6:30 p.m., but you're invited to join the celebration and foodtrucks between 5-7 p.m. And yes, the light tunnel will be back again this year!
Whether you’re spending your evening on the ice as a romantic date night or a fun night with the family, The Village is the perfect spot to lace up your skates. Warm up by one of the Village’s multiple fire pits or with a warm drink from Village Coffee afterwards. The rink is open, weather permitting, through January.
For some unknown reason praying for snow to blanket Bogus Basin and drinking craft beer just seem to go hand in hand with each other. Over 40 breweries, Boise Curling Club, Ranch Club and The Shed team up to take over the corner of 6th and Grove from 12-8 p.m. In addition to enjoying the latest winter ales, the fest also includes a rail jam, live DJ and more!
The annual Boise tradition is back along Bannock and Jefferson Streets. This year’s “Christmas in Our Town” themed parade has a very special grand marshal, Mayor Dave Bieter. The parade begins at 9:45 a.m.
Who says you have to go to Vegas to experience a jaw-dropping, circus show set to holiday music? Get ready to be dazzled right here in the Treasure Valley. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Boise Centre on the Grove turns into a winter wonderland November 21-26! The showcase of trees, wreaths and holiday decor benefits the Cancer Car Center's Infusion Room. Get tickets early for the black tie Gala that kicks off this year’s festival on Tuesday, November 20 or come watch the big finale at the fashion show on Monday, November 26.
Over 400,000 twinkling lights bring the Idaho Botanical Garden to life daily 5:30-9:30 PM. Over the holiday season the display includes special visits from Santa, his reindeer pal Prancer, local choirs and more. The gardens will be closed November 28 and December 4 for exclusive parties.
Once you wrap up your shopping welcome Friday, November 23 from 5-6:30 p.m. The Downtown Boise tree will be lit up on the Grove during a celebration with carols, candle-lighting, live music, food and drinks. You’ll also have a chance to pay it forward to the Women’s and Children’s Alliance by grabbing a wish tag off the giving tree.
The 2C’s winter showcase is more than just a gallery of Christmas trees. The Ford Idaho Center transforms into a winter wonderland of custom-designed trees, centerpieces, wreaths and decorations. The event also includes a special breakfast with Santa! Back by popular demand? A Christmas themed Paint N’ Sip night!
Nampa welcomes the spirit of the season outside the Nampa Train Depot! The celebration includes horse-drawn carriage ride and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus after Nampa flips the switch for the tree!
Spend Thanksgiving weekend with Buddy the Elf at the Egyptian. Boise Classic Movies will host two showings of the Will Ferrell Christmas classic. The showings are scheduled for 3:30 and 7 p.m.
If you love holiday music, you can't miss Under the Streetlamp's "Hip to the Holidays" performance that puts a doo-wop, Motown and old time rock n roll spin on your favorite songs. Thing of Christmas songs in the style of The Drifters, The Beach Boys and The Beatles!
Meridian based running shop, The Pulse, is hosting the Candy Cane Stroll in conjunction with the Meridian Winter Lights Parade! The 1.25 mile fun run sends you down the parade route before the floats. Make sure you wear an ugly sweater, because race participants who go all out will have a chance to score some great prizes!
The Meridian Winter Lights Parade is back for it’s sixth year on Friday, November 30 at 6:30 PM. Watch over fifty lighted floats, trolleys, dance teams and bands walk through a Winter Wonderland! After the parade, the city of Meridian lights their Christmas tree at Generation Plaza.The evening wraps up with a fireworks spectacular!
Get out of the cold and warm up with the hot, holiday sounds of the Meridian Symphony! They’ll be performing festive sounds of the seasons ranging from classical to pops pieces! Centennial High School’s combined choirs will be joining them on stage for a special surprise for the audience!
Admit it, watching Kevin battle those Christmas Eve baddies is something your family has loved doing together for years. Bring the family together again for this special screening at the Egyptian at 7 p.m.
Ho ho ho! Santa loads up his sleigh and sets course for the Treasure Valley and all of Zoo Boise's residents! Zoo Boise hosts a FREE admission day from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Not only will Santa take photos with your minis, there will be Christmas crafts for the kiddos and a chance to see the zoo animals open their gifts!
2C! Saturday, December 1 is your night to enjoy a holiday parade as over seventy floats make their way down Blaine Street in Caldwell. Join Santa at the fire station before the parade from 3-5 p.m. to tell him what’s on your Christmas list this year. This year’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” themed parade is one of the biggest night light parades in the region and will begin at 6 p.m.
It’s the 21st year of this great Idaho Steelheads tradition! If you’re attending their game against the Jacksonville Icemen on December 1, bring a new, stuffed, unbreakable toy with you. Instead of the traditional fish thrown on the ice after the Steelie’s first goal fans can throw those toys on the ice. They’ll be collected for our local chapter of the Marine Corps’s Toys for Tots Programs. Don’t have time to grab a toy? The Steelheads Booster Club will be selling them in the CenturyLink Arena Lobby.
Yippee-ky-yay! This movie is on my husband's "Top 5 Christmas Movies" list...yet somehow The Year Without a Santa Claus is not. I roll my eyes when he says it's a Christmas movie, but according to Boise Classic Movies it's actually their 3rd most requested Christmas movie ahead of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation.
When you hear the words “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” you almost immediately hear them in Bing Crosby’s voice. Relive this Crosby, Kaye and Clooney classic at 7 p.m. Come prepared for a spontaneous sing-along to break out like it has in years past!
There’s nothing that screams Christmas music more than the sounds of the symphony backed by the Philharmonic Master Chorale. The Holiday Pops concert brings carols and sing-alongs to Nampa on Friday night and Boise on Saturday.
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and all of your favorite Muppet friends put a heartwarming spin on the Charles Dickens classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge. The screening takes place at 7 p.m. at the Egyptian Theater.
Chow down on a delicious breakfast with Santa during his visit from the North Pole! Tickets are $6 for the breakfast at Gem Prep: Nampa. Breakfast is served at 9 a.m. and 9:50 a.m.
Dec 8: Mistletoe Market
Gem Prep: Nama is hosting a Mistletoe Market with local vendors, raffle prizes, foods, desserts and a visit from the man in red! Proceeds benefit flexible seating and mindfulness/sensory projects in the classrooms at Gem Prep. The even takes place 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Meridian Boys & Girls Club is transforming into the North Pole for a very special day for the kiddos! Stop by for pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, toy building, reindeer games and more from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The City of Eagle welcomes in the holiday season and lights its Christmas tree during its annual Country Christmas celebration. It kicks off at 1 p.m. in Heritage Park with a winter market, cookie and cocoa sampling, Christmas crafts and carriage rides around Downtown Eagle!
Scentsy is expanding their annual "Point of Lights" Christmas Concert to include a third evening! The concerts happen nightly from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The concert features choirs from around high schools in the Treasure Valley, a visit from Clyde the Camel and a live Nativity. Come for the music, stay for the over 700,000 lights strung across the Scentsy campus. The event is FREE to attend.
Dec 11: Merry Hour at Lost Grove Brewing
Join 107.9 LITE-FM as we pour out a little cheer at Lost Grove! From the time they pull the first tap handle until the time the lock the door, 50% of all the money they make this evening will be donated to LITE-FM’s Christmas Wish! Christmas Wish is our way of giving our Treasure Valley neighbors who’ve fallen on hard times at the holidays a hand up and a little hope during this magical season. Last year we granted a lot of wishes last year and know that with your help, we’ll be able to do even more in 2018. Can’t make it on Tuesday night? Visit Lost Grove any time during the remainder of the week and ask which tap handle is benefiting Christmas Wish! $2 of every pint they sell of that beer will also help us out.
Ballet Idaho presents the beloved tale of Clara, her beloved Nutcracker doll and vivid dream set to Tchaikovsky’s classic “Nutcracker Suite” during a short weekend residency at the Morrison Center.
This is a run my friends from Team Run Boise were talking about over the weekend! Wear your ugly sweater and get moving to help benefit the Junior Olympics, Nike NXN and FootLocker Cross Country events! The race takes place at Whittenberger Park in Caldwell
America's Got Talent's youngest winner ever brings her puppet friends to the Treasure Valley for a Christmas Spectacular like you've never seen before. If you loved her on the NBC reality competition, you won't want to miss this one! The performance starts at 7 p.m.
Join 107.9 LITE-FM for the 36th Annual YMCA Christmas Run, starting from Boise High! As a runner, I love this one because it’s one of the only races in the Treasure Valley that’s NOT on the Boise Greenbelt. The six mile course takes you up a pretty brutal hill but gives you one of the most incredible views of the city as you cross Highland View Drive onto 8th Street. There’s also a less challenging 2 mile run and 1 mile reindeer dash. Plus, you’ll see the best holiday costumes, carolers, Santa and LITE-FM on the course!