On Friday at 11 a.m., the eucalyptus-lined artist village at 935 Laguna Canyon Road opens for the 36th Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Art Festival. It stays open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., for five weekends ending Dec. 20. For those five weekends the city runs two trolley routes to the gate. One starts at a $5 lot up the canyon. The other starts at a free lot in Irvine.
So the season's calendar is set in the canyon. Downtown has one major holiday night on the city's calendar, Hospitality Night on Friday, Dec. 4, and it falls on the third Winter Fantasy weekend. On that evening the two events overlap for two hours. Each one keeps its own schedule, and the trolleys run between them.
Five Weekends, Each With Its Own Anchor
Every Winter Fantasy weekend runs the same hours. The things scheduled around those weekends differ, so each one plays a different role in the month.
| Weekend | Dates | What lands on it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov. 20–22 | Opening day Friday. The $2 online discount ends Nov. 20. Tree lighting on the grounds Saturday, Nov. 21, at 5 p.m. |
| 2 | Nov. 27–29 | Thanksgiving weekend |
| 3 | Dec. 4–6 | Hospitality Night downtown Friday, 5–9 p.m. Laguna Playhouse opens Aladdin & Yasmin's Winter Wish Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| 4 | Dec. 11–13 | Laguna Playhouse Family Holiday Party pre-show events Saturday, Dec. 12, at noon and 4 p.m. |
| 5 | Dec. 18–20 | Final weekend. Winter Fantasy closes Sunday, Dec. 20 |
According to the Laguna Beach Independent, the opening-weekend tree lighting is meant to bring "artists, visitors and the Laguna Beach community together to welcome the season." It's also the first chance to see the grounds in full holiday dress, which makes it a good first visit for anyone planning to come back.
What Fills the Grounds Through December 20
The Indy puts this year's artist count at more than 180. Their work includes paintings, jewelry, ceramics, glasswork, sculpture, photography and textiles, and the artists give live demonstrations around the grounds. Sawdust president Jay Grant told the Laguna Beach Independent that meeting the artist is the point: "That connection is something you can't get from a gift bought online, and it's why so many families have made us part of their holiday traditions."
Here's what else is on the grounds this season, according to the same announcement:
- Trees decorated by local community organizations, plus Candy Cane Lane and seasonal photo installations
- Photos with Santa Claus, carolers, roaming musicians, puppet shows and the Balloon Diva
- Holiday-themed art classes and hands-on workshops
- Decor inspired by European holiday markets
- Sawdust's mulled wine in holiday mugs, along with food from The Cove by Starfish, AhbA, Taco Laco and Espresso on the Go
The holiday show also has a longer history behind it. Local artists founded Sawdust in 1965, and its summer festival marked its 60th anniversary this year. Sawdust hasn't posted the artist directory, grounds map or entertainment schedule yet, so check the ticket page before a visit planned around a specific booth or performance.
The Pass Pays Off on the Third Visit
A five-weekend run makes repeat visits likely. Sawdust lists a single-day adult ticket at $12 plus a $0.50 fee, so $12.50 at the gate. The Winter Pass is $35.50 with the fee and covers unlimited visits for the whole 2026 run. Three adult day tickets cost $37.50. That means the pass is already the cheaper option by the third visit, and every visit after that is free.
There's one exception to that math. Online tickets are $2 off when bought in advance through Nov. 20, opening day. Someone who expects to go once or twice, and buys by Friday, pays less for single tickets than for the pass.
A few more rules from the ticket page apply to every visit:
- Children under 5 get in free without a ticket, and seniors 65 and older and youth ages 6 to 12 have their own ticket types.
- Veterans get in free any day with military ID shown at the box office, and parties of 10 or more can request a group rate.
- ID is required at the gate, tickets are non-refundable, and pets aren't allowed on the grounds. Service animals must meet federal ADA guidelines.
Two Trolleys Feed the Same Gate
Parking is where the canyon's calendar matters most. The city runs two separate trolley routes to Sawdust during Winter Fantasy, and both continue downtown.
The Canyon Route starts at Lot 16/Act V, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road. Parking there costs $5 for the day, and the trolley is free. Trolleys run every 30 minutes, Friday through Sunday, until 8 p.m., from Nov. 20 through Dec. 20.
The Winter Express starts farther out, at a lot at 16355 Laguna Canyon Road in Irvine near the I-405/SR-133 interchange. It's an open-air ride down the canyon with stops at Sawdust and downtown, where riders can transfer to the Coast Highway trolley lines. Trolleys leave Irvine at :00 and :30 past each hour on festival Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the city's Winter Express page says both the parking and the ride are free.
For those who drive closer in, Sawdust lists limited metered parking on Frontage Road and along Laguna Canyon Road. The meters take only credit cards or payment through the Laguna Beach Parking app. Paid lots near downtown include Lot 10 and Lot 11 at 635 Laguna Canyon Road. The Laguna Beach Trolley app shows where each trolley is in real time.
December 4, When the Canyon and Downtown Overlap
On the first Friday of December, the City of Laguna Beach and the Chamber of Commerce co-host Hospitality Night. This year it's Friday, Dec. 4, from about 5 to 9 p.m., starting in the Peppertree Lot, Lot 2. Winter Fantasy is open that day too, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. That leaves 5 to 7 p.m. as the only time this season when both events are open at once.
Here's how the city's tentative schedule for that day lines up against the canyon:
- 11 a.m. Winter Fantasy opens on Laguna Canyon Road.
- 3 p.m. Street closures start downtown, covering parts of Forest Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Beach Street, Glenneyre and the Peppertree Lot.
- 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Free trolley and neighborhood on-demand service.
- 5 p.m. Business open houses begin downtown and run until 9 p.m. The Thurston Middle School Band plays the Peppertree Lot, and holiday crafts start there. Laguna Beach Presbyterian opens its art market, with La Playa Tamales, homemade cookies and cider, and caroling until 7 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m. The Ukulele Academy plays the Peppertree Lot.
- 6:10 p.m. Santa arrives at the Peppertree Lot to light the tree.
- 6:15 p.m. The Laguna Community Concert and JaZz Band plays until 7:30 p.m.
- 6:30 p.m. Santa moves to his Beach House to hear children's wishes until 9 p.m. Anneliese School performs on the Main Stage on Forest Ave. until 6:45 p.m.
- 7 p.m. Winter Fantasy closes, and music starts on the Main Stage on the Promenade, running until 9 p.m.
The 3 p.m. closures limit driving downtown for the rest of the day, so the trolleys are the easiest way to cover both events. That night the Winter Express and the Canyon Route still stop at Sawdust and downtown, and the city's free trolley service runs until 11 p.m. A daytime visit to the artist booths still allows for the tree lighting at 6:10 p.m. The city posts a map of the closures on its Hospitality Night page.
The next day, Saturday, Dec. 5, Laguna Playhouse opens its family holiday panto, Aladdin & Yasmin's Winter Wish, which runs through Dec. 27. Its run continues a week past Winter Fantasy's Dec. 20 closing day.
Daftarian Group follows Laguna Beach's calendar from Laguna Canyon to downtown, and that knowledge informs every Laguna Beach property we represent. For a discreet conversation about a home near Laguna Canyon or downtown Laguna Beach, Daftarian Group invites you to Request a Private Consultation.
