Nighttime Christmas Parade highlights busy holiday schedule in Fallbrook

'Tis the season for holiday events, and Fallbrook has it covered.

The 35th edition of the Fallbrook Christmas Parade, which will travel down Main Ave. the night of Dec. 3, highlights a busy holiday schedule of fun that is already underway.

"It's the largest nighttime Christmas parade in North County," said Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce CEO Lila MacDonald. "And it's the second-largest community event (behind the Avocado Festival). I always tell people, it's a Fallbrook tradition. You've either been in it, watched it, or helped make it happen."

The parade starts at 5 p.m. and will feature lighted floats, marching bands, holiday music, dancers, classic cars and – as always – surprises.

"One year you had a guy walking bunny rabbits in it," said MacDonald. "It’s one of those only in Fallbrook things where you go, ‘Are they literally walking mini horses and goats down the street? Yeah they are.' I love the event. It’s a gift to the community. It’s not a money maker. It’s really one of those feel-good things – to see little kids in it having so much fun, and a community coming together for a very special time."

MacDonald said the parade will have more than 100 entries, including some rather large ones.

"One entry is Fallbrook Air Park, and they’ll have a truck towing a plane right on it," said MacDonald. "We have entries from multiple car clubs, and one entry from a car club may be eight to 15 cars. So you might end up with 150 entries in the parade."

While Santa is always the star of any Christmas parade, old St. Nick will have some competition for the spotlight from the 1st Marine Division Band based out of Camp Pendleton.

"It will be great to have the Marine Corps band back," said MacDonald. "They have not come for a few years because they are usually participating in drills on base. But this year they'll be here and that's super exciting. The Gem and Mineral Society will be hosting them after the parade. It's a real community event."

The parade will make its way down Main Ave. from Ammunition to Ivy Street, "and is sure to help you feel the holiday spirit," according to MacDonald.

Here's a look at other holiday events in Fallbrook, listed in chronological order.

Art of the Holiday at the Fallbrook Art Center (Nov. 12-Dec. 24)

The Fallbrook Art Center is located at 103 S. Main Ave. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. The center offers a variety of hand-crafted holiday gifts produced by local artists, ranging from jewelry, glassware, wearable art and greeting cards.

"This event is great for holiday shopping," said MacDonald of Art of the Holiday. "It's affordable art pieces from local artisans, everything from hand-blown glass to jewelry to glass-blown ornaments."

A Farmhouse Christmas at Myrtle Creek (Nov. 25-Dec. 24)

Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens & Nursery is located at 2940 Reche Rd. and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Holiday decor is featured throughout the gardens and the special Christmas gift shop is filled with unique gifts and holiday decorations. Also offered are wreath workshops (11 a.m. Dec. 3 and Dec. 10), tractor-pulled hayrides (Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, and 18), a Christmas tree farm, and seasonal Myrtle Berry cider to go along with the famous Myrtle Berry pie.

"People love to go there and take pictures of the holiday decorations and to go to the cafe and get some of their Myrtle Berry pie," said MacDonald. "You can also find gifts and visit their goat farm too."

Village Artisan Faire, Downtown Merchants Holiday Open House (Nov. 26)

The faire, sponsored by the chamber, is held on Main Ave. at Elder St. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offers a unique shopping opportunity for holiday gifts. The downtown merchants are open all day, giving visitors plenty of time to do some holiday shopping while walking the streets of Fallbrook.

“It’s local artisans, local music, and you can do some really cool shopping between the faire and the open house," said MacDonald, noting that Nov. 26 is designated as Small Business Saturday. "We understand people are going to go out on Black Friday (Nov. 25), but we encourage you to shop local for Small Business Saturday and show some local love to your downtown merchants and service providers."

The combination of the faire and the open house has proven popular, according to MacDonald.

“This is the fourth year for this event," said MacDonald. "We noticed that last year, and the year before, it started to bring more people downtown. The merchants were excited. It’s created a buzz for them."

Official Fallbrook Holiday Tree Lighting at the Fallbrook Community Center (Dec. 2)

The Fallbrook Community Center is located at 341 Heald Lane, and the event takes place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Parking at the community center is very limited, so people are encouraged to carpool, park on side streets, or drive to the downtown parking lot located behind the Fallbrook Art Center to catch a free shuttle.

The tree lighting is a free event put on by Friends of the Fallbrook Community Center, in conjunction with the chamber and the County of San Diego. The festive evening features entertainment by local performers and carolers, food and drink, holiday shopping opportunities, face painting and other activities for kids, family oriented games and activities, a free photo booth for taking selfies and shots with friends, and a free raffle with drawings for prizes throughout the night.

The highlight of the night is the lighting of the Fallbrook Holiday Tree, a living 50-foot giant that is over 34 years old and stands in front of the Community Center. Thousands of sparkling LED lights give the tree a magical holiday look.

"It's a very fun collaborative evening," said MacDonald. "It really gets you into the holiday spirit."

An Old-Fashioned Christmas Open House at the Fallbrook Historical Society (Dec. 4)

The Fallbrook Historical Society is located at 1730 Hill Ave. (Rocky Crest at Hill), and the open house is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to explore the museum and the museum grounds, enjoy refreshments, listen to carolers, admire and purchase arts and crafts, and ­– best of all – visit with Santa.

"It's a grassroots event that makes you feel good," said MacDonald. "You're treated to holiday fun and at the same time you can learn about the history of Fallbrook."

Wine & A Bite Holiday Art Walk, Downtown Fallbrook (Dec. 9)

Participants will stroll the streets of downtown Fallbrook and stop for wine and a taste of gourmet food while admiring Christmas art displayed on the windows of local merchants.

"We open the holiday wine and a bite to 150 people," said MacDonald, noting the normal capacity for wine and a bite events is 100. "The chamber does Christmas window decorating contests, and at the wine and a bite you can see all the windows, and it's very joyful."

Breakfast With Santa at the Fallbrook Community Center (Dec. 10)

The Fallbrook Community Center is located at 341 Heald Lane, and the event takes place from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Families are invited to enjoy a hot breakfast with Santa, who will also be available for photos.

"It's a very nice family event with arts and crafts and entertainment," said MacDonald.

Brunch with Santa at the Grand Tradition Estate & Gardens (Dec. 11)

The Grand Tradition is located at 220 Grand Tradition Way, and the brunch will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the holiday-decorated Beverly Mansion ballroom. There will be dancing ballerinas, storytelling, crafts for kids, carolers and a visit from St. Nick.

"It's beautiful," said MacDonald. "They do a really wonderful buffet and the carolers and storytellers are great, as is Santa. It usually sells out, so get your tickets early."

MacDonald urges people to attend as many of the holiday events as they can.

"These are great community events," said MacDonald, who encourages people to join her in supporting local merchants during the holiday season. "I do 95 percent of my Christmas shopping downtown. I have a 11-year-old, so I have to buy Legos online, but everything else I can get here. I just challenge everybody to shop local first and see what they can find.”