On Friday, Nov. 20, three things open at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on the same day. The Bing Crosby racing meet starts its second-to-last weekend, the SnowJam ski sale fills the Exhibit Hall, and Purdy Tree Farms opens its Christmas tree lot in the Main Parking Lot. From that day until Dec. 26, something seasonal is going on at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., with each event handing off to the next.
Down the hill, Del Mar Village schedules its holidays very differently. Its Village-wide programming takes place in a single afternoon on Sunday, Dec. 6. That date falls in the gap after the last race and before Coastal Christmas opens on Dec. 11, when the tree lot is the only holiday business left at the Fairgrounds. Until Coastal Christmas opens, the Village's big day and the Fairgrounds' ticketed events never land on the same date.
The Fairgrounds Hands Off From Racing to Trees to Lights
The Fairgrounds season starts with the end of racing. The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club runs its fall Bing Crosby meet, named for the track's founder, and it races Nov. 20 through 22 and Nov. 26 through 29. The first listed race time is 12:30 p.m., except on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, when racing starts at 11 a.m.
Racing shares that first weekend with two seasonal events:
| Event | Where on the grounds | Dates | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Crosby fall meet | Racetrack | Nov. 20–22, Nov. 26–29 | 12:30 p.m. first listed time; 11 a.m. on Nov. 26 |
| SnowJam ski and snowboard sale | Exhibit Hall | Nov. 20–22 | On-site parking listed at $15 |
| Purdy Tree Farms | Main Parking Lot | Nov. 20–Dec. 15 | Fresh trees, wreaths, garlands, delivery, flocking |
| Coastal Christmas | Fairgrounds grounds | Dec. 11–26 | 4–9 p.m.; light trail opens around dusk |
The tree lot is what links the two halves of the season. The family-owned Purdy Tree Farms lot opens the same weekend racing winds down and stays open through Dec. 15, so it overlaps the first five nights of Coastal Christmas. Purdy's Fairgrounds listing covers delivery and flocking but doesn't post prices.
Coastal Christmas Enters Its Fourth Season
The light show at the Fairgrounds has a longer history than many neighbors may know. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Fairgrounds hosted Holiday of Lights every holiday season from 1995 to 2012. It was canceled after 2012. In 2020 the Fairgrounds brought back a drive-through display called Holidays in Your Car, produced by CBF Productions.
CBF Productions now runs Coastal Christmas, which FOX 5 called a "first-ever" experience in 2023. The Coast News covered its return in 2024. In 2025, Patch reported a reimagined version running Dec. 12 to 26. The 2026 announcement from CBF Productions moves opening night one day earlier, to Dec. 11, and keeps the Dec. 26 close.
The event includes a Holiday Light Trail, a Glice skating rink, a holiday market, Santa photos and Frosty's Fun Zone for younger children. Glice is a synthetic surface, not ice. You can reserve a private igloo or a fire-pit table with s'mores and a dedicated drink server. The Holiday Wine Walk includes a souvenir tasting cup, eight wine samples at stations around the grounds, and access to the light trail.
Ticket prices currently listed on the Fever ticketing page are:
- Adult general admission: $27, plus a $2.97 booking fee
- Child general admission: $22, plus a $2.42 booking fee
- Holiday Wine Walk: $55, plus a $6.05 booking fee
- Children 3 and under: free
Five promotional nights can lower the cost for many households. The organizer lists them on the Coastal Christmas site:
- Dec. 17, Community Night: buy one, get one free on adult and child general admission tickets
- Dec. 18, First Responders & Nurses Night: free admission with a valid work ID or badge
- Dec. 20, Military Night: free admission for active-duty military members and veterans with valid ID
- Dec. 21, Kids Free Night: free admission for children under 12 with a paid adult
- Dec. 23, Country Christmas: a line-dancing night
The Village Puts Its Season Into One Afternoon
The Fairgrounds spreads its season over five weeks. The Del Mar Village Association schedules almost all of its holiday programming between 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, under the name North Pole by the Sea. Most of it takes place within a few blocks of 15th Street and Camino Del Mar:
- 1 to 4 p.m.: Monarch Ocean Pub hosts a holiday photo shoot in a VW bus on 15th Street. The Rad Hatter party hat craft for kids is on the same block.
- 1 to 4 p.m.: St. Peter's Episcopal Church brings in real snow for kids. The church describes it as free and open to the public.
- 1 to 4 p.m.: Kids' crafts, photos, and holiday movies and music at 1312 Camino Del Mar.
- 1 to 5 p.m.: The DMVA and Del Mar Plaza set up a Letters to Santa mailroom on the Plaza's ocean-view deck. Carolers and holiday characters move around the Village all afternoon.
- 4 to 6 p.m.: Hot chocolate for kids and adult drinks for sale at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater at L'Auberge Del Mar.
- 5 p.m.: The annual tree lighting at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater.
The ticketed Winter Taste & Sip runs from 1 to 4 p.m. the same afternoon, on a route under half a mile long. The listed restaurants include Adelaide at L'Auberge Del Mar, Board & Brew, Coral Del Mar Bar & Restaurant, Harry's, High Marea by Valley Farm, Il Fornaio, Jake's Del Mar, Monarch Ocean Pub, Queenstown Public House, Saffron and Rose, Sbicca, Tamarindo, The Cottage and Viewpoint Brewing Co., along with Häagen-Dazs and Seaside Yogurt. Beverage partners pour at "Sip Stops" inside Village shops, including Rusty Del Mar Surf Shop, Julie's Beach Life, Shine Natural Market, Sea Love and Urban Girl Accessories.
The Eventbrite listing shows tickets starting at $49.87. It also offers a Taste Only option for guests under 21 or anyone skipping the Sip Stops. Check-in is on 15th Street just west of Camino Del Mar. Each guest checks in individually with an Eventbrite ticket and a photo ID. The event FAQ warns that restaurants may run out of tastes as the afternoon goes on and suggests arriving early.
Fitting all of this into one afternoon has one clear upside for anyone driving in. Under the City of Del Mar's holiday parking program, all metered parking in the Village is free that day. The Del Mar Civic Center also has free parking, and Del Mar Plaza has paid parking. The DMVA still recommends rideshare when possible.
L'Auberge Keeps the Village Going After Dec. 6
After the tree lighting, most of the Village's remaining holiday programming is at L'Auberge Del Mar, the same property whose amphitheater hosts the lighting. According to the Village's holiday events page, L'Auberge holds Brunch with Santa on Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Merry Movie Nights at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12, 19 and 26. Its Tiki Tinsel Lounge runs through the season.
All three movie nights fall during the Coastal Christmas run. The last one, Dec. 26, is also Coastal Christmas's closing night. Before Dec. 11, the Village's events never fall on the same day as racing, SnowJam or Coastal Christmas, and the Purdy lot is the only Fairgrounds holiday business open on Dec. 6. From Dec. 11 on, both run evening programs on the same nights, about a mile apart.
The Full Schedule, in Order
- Nov. 20–22: Bing Crosby racing weekend, SnowJam in the Exhibit Hall, and the Purdy Tree Farms lot opens on Nov. 20
- Nov. 26–29: Final Bing Crosby racing weekend, with an 11 a.m. start on Thanksgiving Day
- Dec. 6: North Pole by the Sea and Winter Taste & Sip in the Village, tree lighting at 5 p.m., free metered parking
- Dec. 11: Coastal Christmas opening night at the Fairgrounds
- Dec. 12: First Merry Movie Night at L'Auberge Del Mar
- Dec. 13: Brunch with Santa at L'Auberge Del Mar
- Dec. 15: Last day of the Purdy Tree Farms lot
- Dec. 17 and 18: Coastal Christmas Community Night and First Responders & Nurses Night
- Dec. 19: Merry Movie Night at L'Auberge Del Mar
- Dec. 20, 21 and 23: Coastal Christmas Military Night, Kids Free Night and Country Christmas
- Dec. 26: Coastal Christmas closing night and the final Merry Movie Night
For a look at how the Village's restaurant scene shifted earlier this year, see our September report on Del Mar Village dining. For more on the neighborhood, visit our Del Mar neighborhood page.
The Village Association calls Dec. 6 a very busy day in the Village, and a season this full makes it useful to know what a Del Mar home is worth heading into the new year. If you're thinking about a sale in early 2027, Adam Loew & Associates can give you a private, data-backed valuation before the season ends. Get Your Home Valuation.
