Most of Camarillo's dated December events fall on a short run of Old Town Ventura Boulevard between 2195 and 2222. The first is the Camarillo Merchant Association office. The second is Studio Channel Islands Art Center. Between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, those two addresses host an art market, a holiday walk with a lighting contest, a Christmas concert and a pop-up village with 30-plus tons of snow.
The parade still runs across town at Community Center Park, and the Camarillo Ranch still opens its Victorian house for two nights. But Old Town is where the weekends stack up. On Saturday, Dec. 12, the parade fills the morning and Old Town takes over at 4 p.m.
Two addresses, eight days
| Address | What it hosts | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2222 Ventura Blvd., Studio Channel Islands Art Center | 20th Annual Holiday Art Market | Fri. Dec. 4 through Sun. Dec. 6 |
| 2222 Ventura Blvd. | A Jet Set Christmas! concert | Sun. Dec. 6, 4 to 5:30 p.m. |
| 2195 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo Merchant Association | Check-in for the Old Town Glow Holiday Walk | Sat. Dec. 5, 5 to 8 p.m. |
| 2222 Ventura Blvd. | Old Town Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village | Sat. Dec. 12, 4 to 9 p.m. |
Each event has its own organizer. The art center runs its market and concert. The Camarillo Merchant Association runs the Old Town Glow events, and the Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District runs the parade. Their calendars happen to land on the same few hundred feet of Ventura Boulevard, and that overlap is what gives the first two December weekends their shape.
The first weekend overlaps on Saturday evening
The Studio Channel Islands Holiday Art Market opens Friday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. It continues Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. This is the market's 20th year. It brings handmade gifts from 40-plus artists, along with live music, food and children's activities. Admission and parking are free.
On Saturday, Dec. 5, the Old Town Glow Holiday Walk starts at 5 p.m., an hour before the art market closes for the day. That gives you an hour to shop the artists' booths at 2222 before checking in at the Merchant Association office at 2195 Ventura Blvd. for the walk.
The walk runs until 8 p.m. along Old Town's stretch of Ventura Boulevard. Local businesses serve holiday drinks and treats, and the evening includes a lighting contest, a costume contest, Santa, music and carolers. Ticket tiers from the Merchant Association:
- 21+ all-inclusive: $40 pre-sale, $50 at the door, with 15 or more alcohol tastings
- General admission: $20 pre-sale, $30 at the door, with no tastings
- Children under 14: free
The $10 difference between pre-sale and door prices holds for both paid tiers. A family of four with two adults on general admission and two children under 14 pays $40 if they buy ahead and $60 at the door.
Sunday, Dec. 6, works the same way. The art market closes at 4 p.m., and at 4 p.m. the art center's calendar lists A Jet Set Christmas! with Matt Johnson & The New Jet Set, running until 5:30. One afternoon at one address covers both: browse the market until it closes, then stay for the concert.
Saturday, Dec. 12, has two halves in two parts of town
A week after the Glow walk, Camarillo's two biggest community events fall on the same Saturday. They run at different hours in different neighborhoods, so you can go to both.
- 10 a.m.: The free Camarillo Christmas Parade begins at Temple Avenue and Las Posas Road, beside the Camarillo Village Square shopping center. It travels down Las Posas Road, turns onto Carmen Drive and ends at the Community Center, 1605 E. Burnley St. Santa's Village opens at the Community Center Park at the same time.
- About 11:30 a.m. to noon: The parade is expected to last 1.5 to 2 hours, so the last entries should reach Burnley Street around midday.
- 12:30 p.m.: Photos with Santa begin at Santa's Village. The start may shift depending on when the parade ends. The Community Center parking lot opens to the public at the same time, and parking there is limited.
- 1:40 to 2 p.m.: The parade awards are announced, and Santa's Village closes at 2.
- 4 p.m.: The Old Town Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village opens at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd., and runs until 9.
The parking timing matters most in the morning. The Community Center lot stays closed to the public until 12:30, so the district's own instructions point parade-goers to the curb along the route. They suggest bringing chairs or blankets and lining up along the streets. Santa's Village itself has holiday vendor booths, food trucks, crafts, an inflatable and photobooth photos with Santa. Admission is free.
There is a two-hour gap between the end of Santa's Village and the opening of the Old Town village. That is enough time to go home, warm up and head to Ventura Boulevard.
The evening village has a free front and a ticketed back
The Pop-Up Holiday Village is split into two areas, and only one requires a ticket. The front vendor area is free, with 30-plus booths, food trucks and carolers. The back area is a snow village built with 30-plus tons of snow. It has a train ride, Santa photos, face painting, live music and an obstacle course.
Snow village tickets cost $15 pre-sale. At the door, the price is $20 by card or $15 in cash. So paying cash at the gate costs the same as buying ahead, and paying by card adds $5.
With Santa photos in the back area, Dec. 12 has two Santa visits in one day, at Community Center Park after the parade and again in Old Town in the evening. Families who can't make the midday line on Burnley Street have a second chance after dark.
The weeks before Old Town takes over
The Ventura Boulevard events come in December. Several smaller dates come before them, and two connect to the Old Town schedule.
Saturday, Nov. 14. Two days after this post publishes, the Holiday Kickoff Shopping Event runs at the Main Court of Camarillo Premium Outlets, 740 Ventura Blvd., from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It promotes giveaways, coupons and store offers.
Nov. 16 through Dec. 5. A Letters to Santa mailbox stands at the Community Center, 1605 E. Burnley St. The mailbox's last day falls on the same Saturday as the Old Town Glow Holiday Walk.
Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Wednesday, Dec. 2. The Camarillo Ranch Foundation holds its Santa Nights, Christmas at the Ranch, from 4 to 8 p.m. both evenings at Camarillo Ranch, 201 Camarillo Ranch Road. Adolfo Camarillo built the ranch's Victorian mansion in 1892, and it is decorated for the season. The 1905 Red Barn becomes Santa's Workshop. Admission is free, and photos with Santa by a professional photographer cost $20. The evenings include tours of the house, Victorian carolers, local craft vendors, and festive drinks and treats for purchase. Proceeds support the Camarillo Ranch Foundation, and both on-site and street parking are available.
Those weeknight dates at the Ranch begin the stretch of Santa appearances that continues through the Glow walk on Dec. 5 and both Dec. 12 events.
The full season on one list
| Date | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat. Nov. 14 | Holiday Kickoff Shopping Event, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Camarillo Premium Outlets Main Court, 740 Ventura Blvd. | Not listed |
| Nov. 16 to Dec. 5 | Letters to Santa mailbox | Community Center, 1605 E. Burnley St. | Free |
| Tue. Dec. 1 and Wed. Dec. 2 | Christmas at the Ranch, 4 to 8 p.m. | Camarillo Ranch, 201 Camarillo Ranch Road | Free; $20 Santa photos |
| Fri. Dec. 4 to Sun. Dec. 6 | Holiday Art Market | Studio Channel Islands, 2222 Ventura Blvd. | Free |
| Sat. Dec. 5 | Old Town Glow Holiday Walk, 5 to 8 p.m. | Check-in at 2195 Ventura Blvd. | $20 to $50; free under 14 |
| Sun. Dec. 6 | A Jet Set Christmas!, 4 to 5:30 p.m. | Studio Channel Islands, 2222 Ventura Blvd. | Not listed |
| Sat. Dec. 12 | Christmas Parade and Santa's Village, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Las Posas Road to Community Center Park | Free |
| Sat. Dec. 12 | Old Town Glow Pop-Up Holiday Village, 4 to 9 p.m. | Studio Channel Islands, 2222 Ventura Blvd. | Front free; snow village $15 to $20 |
Old Town is where Camarillo's December comes together, and it's the part of town The Jenna Kaye Group knows block by block. If you're hosting family this season and want help planning a Saturday around the parade, the Glow walk or the snow village, or you're curious how a home near Ventura Boulevard fits into your own plans, request a private consultation and we'll talk it through.
