Christmas in the Park opens Friday, November 27, and it starts this season with two changes. The plaza on Market Street between San Fernando and San Carlos streets now has a new name, Plaza de San José. Blinky's Drive-Thru, the ticketed version of the event that has moved between venues since 2020, is paused for the year. Taken together, these changes put all of Christmas in the Park back on the downtown plaza where it has been held since the early 1980s. The nonprofit says it is putting its effort there this year.
The downtown season runs through January 1, 2027. It is free and open daily from noon to 10 p.m.
The Plaza's New Name Came From a Survey
On October 27, 2026, the San José City Council voted unanimously to rename Plaza de César Chávez to Plaza de San José. The vote followed several months of community engagement, according to the city's renaming page. The process started in March 2026. The city worked with its Office of Racial and Social Equity and held listening sessions, public meetings and two surveys.
Community members sent in more than 600 name ideas. Five reached a ranked-choice survey, which ran July 24 through August 3. They finished in this order:
- Plaza de San José
- Farmworkers Plaza
- Plaza del Pueblo
- Plaza Park
- Plaza de Quetzalcoatl
On October 7, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended a different name, Plaza del Pueblo de San José. City staff kept their recommendation of the survey winner, and the Council weighed both before approving Plaza de San José. The agenda item is File 26-1117 on the city's Legistar site, with the staff memorandum, presentation and public letters attached.
The change was approved one month before opening night, so some pages still use the old name. Christmas in the Park's own homepage uses both. Its opening-night notice says Plaza de San José, and its season listing says Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Both names refer to the same downtown plaza.
The Drive-Thru Moved Around for Five Years
The drive-thru started as a pandemic workaround. In 2020, Christmas in the Park left downtown for History Park and became a drive-through, as CBS News Bay Area reported. Tickets cost $10 to $20 per car. KTVU reported that the regular price was $20 per car, dropping to $10 for entry between 4 and 5 p.m.
When the downtown walk-through came back, the drive-thru kept going alongside it, at a different venue in many years:
| Season | Drive-thru venue | Per-car price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | History Park | $10 to $20 | CBS News Bay Area |
| 2021 | Lake Cunningham Park, as "Blinky's Illuminated Holiday" | Not listed | NBC Bay Area |
| 2024 | History Park | Not listed | NBC Bay Area |
| 2025 | Santa Clara County Fairgrounds | $25 to $40 | The Mercury News |
| 2026 | Paused | None | Christmas in the Park |
By last year, the Fairgrounds version ran November 28 through December 31 and cost up to $40 per car. The nonprofit describes the downtown plaza as free and accessible to all. Here is how the organization explained this year's change on its homepage:
After an extensive search, we weren't able to secure a location this year that meets our standard for Blinky's Drive-Thru.
The statement goes on to say the nonprofit decided to "pause it for the season and pour our energy into making the Park experience the best it's ever been."
So for 2026, there is one Christmas in the Park, and it is downtown.
Where That Energy Shows Up on the Plaza
The clearest sign of that focus is the Community Tree Adoption program, which the homepage presents as its 2026 community campaign. The event displays more than 600 decorated trees. This year, a new interactive map lets people adopt a tree in their own council district. Prices for community-category trees dropped across the year: $400 in the May pricing phase, $300 in July and $200 in September. The trees stay up from November 27 through January 1.
The trees are decorated before the public arrives. Here is the 2026 calendar, starting Saturday, November 21:
| Date | What happens | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov 21 | Setup Saturday | 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Nov 23 to 25 | Community Tree Decorating Days | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Nov 27 | Park season opens | Noon to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov 28 | Opening Night Ceremony, then VIP party at The Tavern | 6 to 7 p.m.; party 7 to 9 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec 3 | SJSU Night | 6 to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec 6 and Saturday, Dec 19 | Pet-Friendly Days | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Sundays, Dec 13 and Dec 27 | Special Inclusion Sundays, sensory-friendly | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Nov 28 to Dec 24 | Free photos with Santa | Nightly |
The homepage also calls Friday, November 27 at 6 p.m. "Opening Night." If you are planning around the ceremony itself, the events calendar lists it for Saturday, November 28.
The pet-friendly days and inclusion Sundays have their own hours and start in the morning, before the regular noon opening. With the drive-thru paused, families who used to see the lights from the car have these daytime sessions on the plaza instead. Each has a fixed window, so it is worth checking the calendar before you go.
Over the season, the displays include more than 123,000 Christmas lights. The collection traces back to the 1950s, when Don Lima borrowed $300 to build a Nativity scene on his lawn. The display grew too large for his property, and he donated it to the City of San José.
Building an Evening Around the Plaza
The Tavern. The Park Tavern is presented by LiUNA Local 270. It is open 5 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends, with live music from the Levitt Foundation on Tuesdays. Since the park closes at 10 p.m., an evening visit can include dinner on site.
Parking. The organization names SpotHero as its official parking partner and recommends reserving a spot in advance. Details are on its directions and parking page.
A second light show. San Jose Holiday Lights runs November 13 through January 1 at 330 W San Carlos St. It is open 4:30 to 10:30 p.m., with last entry at 10 p.m. The show is laid out as themed areas, including Golden Christmas, Enchanted Jungle, California Garden, Mermaid Current, White Christmas Wonderland and Cactus Mirage. Cactus Mirage features Quetzalcoatl and La Catrina, drawing on Mexican culture and mythology. The site also lists public-art features, including illuminated children's drawings and sculptures painted by local artists.
It costs more than the free plaza. On the Eventbrite listing, which names DOCA Festival as organizer, general admission for ages 13 to 64 is $25 on weekdays and $29 on Friday through Sunday and holidays. Families can save on select Monday through Thursday school nights before December 18, when tickets for children ages 4 to 12 are $10. November 25 and 26 are excluded.
Last year, the only way to see Christmas in the Park's drive-thru lights was to pay for a car pass at the Fairgrounds. This year, all of it is on the plaza, free, and open daily from noon. Holiday Lights at 330 W San Carlos St is open until 10:30 p.m. if you want a ticketed show on the same night. The plaza's daytime sessions and The Tavern's hours make it easy to plan a full afternoon and evening in one place.
If your family has a Christmas in the Park tradition and you're wondering how this downtown season fits your plans, Elsa Garza is happy to talk it through, in English or Spanish. And if you're curious what your home is worth this season, start with a quick, no-pressure look. Get Your Instant Home Valuation.
