Downtown Walnut Creek's 2026 holiday season starts a week before the ice goes in at Civic Park. It opens on the Lesher Center for the Arts stage, moves to Civic Park, then to Broadway Plaza, and finishes back at the Lesher just before Christmas.
Plan around those handoffs and you'll find a lot more on the calendar than a single night of skating. One weekend in late November puts the rink opening, a tree lighting and a ballet within three days of each other.
The Lesher Opens First, on November 13
Diablo Ballet starts the season on Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14, with The Nutcracker Suite. The Lesher Center lists it as Julia Adam's new two-act production. A free cast event follows the 2 p.m. performance on November 14, so the matinee is the one to book if your kids want to meet the dancers.
The Lesher keeps a holiday show on its calendar almost every week from there:
- Smuin's The Christmas Ballet, November 21 and 22, with a new piece by company artist Maggie Carey alongside returning favorites
- The Ballet School Performing Arts' Once Upon A Christmas, the school's annual production, November 27 to 29 over Thanksgiving weekend
- Center REP's A Christmas Carol, December 9 to 23, produced with AXIS Dance Company
Ticket prices vary by show, so check each listing on the Lesher Center calendar before you plan the evening.
Civic Park Takes Over on November 20
Walnut Creek on Ice opens at Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive, on Friday, November 20, and runs through January 18, 2027. Last season ran November 21 to January 19, so both opening and closing day are one day earlier this year. Walnut Creek Downtown's page describes it as the Bay Area's only outdoor ice rink and ice slide, and the tradition has now run for more than two decades.
Opening night also brings the free Civic Park tree lighting, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., with cocoa, carolers and Frosty the Snowman. It's the same program as 2025's lighting on November 21, a day later on the calendar.
Prices are unchanged. Skating and Frosty's Summit Ice Slide are each $20 per person for a 90-minute session, and the combo skate-and-slide ticket starts at $20. The rink is cashless, so buy online or pay on-site with an approved digital method. Last year the combo was $20 on non-holiday weekdays and $30 on weekends and holidays.
Sunday hours are the change regulars will notice. The rink now stays open until 8:30 p.m. on Sundays, two hours later than last season's 6:30 p.m. close. Here's how the posted schedule breaks down:
| Day | Posted hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday, non-holiday | 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Friday, non-holiday | 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Weekdays during holiday periods | 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
| Thanksgiving | 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
| Christmas Eve | 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Christmas Day | 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
| New Year's Eve and Day | 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
The extended weekday hours only apply during holiday periods, so check the rink's online calendar for your exact day before you promise anyone a weekday morning skate.
November 20 to 22 Is the Busiest Weekend
Friday, November 20, brings the rink opening and the Civic Park tree lighting. Smuin is on the Lesher stage that Saturday and Sunday, and Sunday is the first weekend the rink stays open until 8:30 p.m. That means you can see a Smuin show and still have time to skate afterward.
| Date | Venue | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13 to 14 | Lesher Center | Diablo Ballet, The Nutcracker Suite |
| Nov. 16, 23, 30, Dec. 7, 14, 4 to 7 p.m. | Broadway Plaza | Pet Night with Santa |
| Nov. 20, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Civic Park | Tree lighting and rink opening |
| Nov. 21 to 22 | Lesher Center | Smuin, The Christmas Ballet |
| Nov. 27 to 29 | Lesher Center | Once Upon A Christmas |
| Dec. 3, 6 to 8 p.m. | Broadway Plaza | Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting |
| Dec. 9 to 23 | Lesher Center | Center REP, A Christmas Carol |
| Through Dec. 24 | Broadway Plaza | Santa visits and photos |
| Through Jan. 18, 2027 | Civic Park | Walnut Creek on Ice |
Thanksgiving weekend is the next busy stretch. The rink opens at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and the Ballet School Performing Arts production runs Friday through Sunday.
Broadway Plaza Picks Up in December
Broadway Plaza's Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting is Thursday, December 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., with Santa leading the tree-lighting ceremony. Last year's event was December 4 and ran until 8:30 p.m., so this year's starts a day earlier and ends half an hour sooner. If you're coming from work, get there close to 6.
The plaza's quieter events run around that night. Pet Night with Santa is on five Monday evenings, November 16, 23 and 30 and December 7 and 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. Santa visits continue through December 24. Broadway Plaza's holiday page says visits are free, photo packages are available, and families can reserve online or walk in. A few weeks after the parade, the season ends where it began: A Christmas Carol plays at the Lesher through December 23, the last show on the downtown calendar before the holiday itself.
Parking for a 90-Minute Skate
The three City garages, Broadway, Lesher Center and South Locust, are open 24 hours. The first hour is free, and after that it's $1.25 an hour. A rink session is 90 minutes. Add lacing up, returning skates and a cup of cocoa by the firepits, and a skating visit will almost always run into a paid second hour. It's a small charge, but you'll pay it, so make sure the ParkMobile app or a card is ready.
On show nights, the City's parking page lists a special event fee of up to $5 at the Lesher Center Garage. Allow for that if you're planning dinner, a ballet and a skate in one evening.
The Walnut Creek Police Department lists Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day among the holidays when meters aren't enforced. Those exemptions cover street meters and City-owned lots only, not the public garages. If you skate on Thanksgiving evening or Christmas afternoon, a street meter is free that day and a garage space is billed as usual.
Warming Up Between Stops
Local news site Beyond the Creek has tracked a run of 2026 downtown openings, and several of them make good stops between the rink, the theater and the plaza.
- Milky Flakes, 1399 N. Main St., serves soft serve in Hokkaido milk and matcha plus Korean shaved ice, for anyone who still wants something cold after skating.
- Doppio Zero, 1522 N. Main St., makes Neapolitan pizza and fresh pasta for a sit-down dinner before a show.
- Matsu Yakitori, 1548 Locust St., cooks yakitori over a charcoal fire.
- Taqueria Extra & Cantina reopened at its new downtown location, 1359 Locust St., this summer.
- Ruby Lou's Boujee Bites & Games, 1501 N. Broadway, is family-friendly during the day and 21-and-over in the evening. The menu includes short-rib nachos, wagyu hot dogs and a sundae.
The same site also lists Salt & Lime on North Main and Shabu Go at Agora at South Main among this fall's new downtown names.
We love seeing neighbors downtown this time of year, whether at the rink or in the Lesher lobby. If the holidays have you wondering what your Walnut Creek home is worth before the new year, The Duarte Team is happy to put together a free home valuation, with no pressure and on your schedule.
