Last December, finding Santa and Bigfoot in Occidental meant strolling. The Press Democrat's 2025 holiday roundup described a Holiday Stroll from Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 5 to 21, where you could visit the pair while shopping and dining around town. This year Alliance Redwoods and the Occidental Community Council publish a schedule instead. Each evening the two appear at one named downtown business.
This changes how a December evening in town works. Before you leave the house, you need to know the date and the address.
What Changed From Last Year
Two things moved. In 2025, the Christmas in the Redwoods drive-through at Alliance Redwoods ran Thursday through Sunday for the first three weekends of December, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Afterward, families could meet Santa and Bigfoot at the Inn at Occidental. For 2026, the drive-through runs Dec. 5 to 6, 11 to 13 and 18 to 21, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., rain or shine. On the 2026 calendar those nights fall Friday through Sunday, plus Monday, Dec. 21. Thursdays are off the schedule, and each evening closes half an hour earlier than last year.
The second shift is about who hosts. Alliance Redwoods says it is partnering with the Occidental Community Council and several business partners to decorate the town. It ties the effort to Occidental's Holiday Lights Celebration. Santa and Bigfoot rotate through six businesses, one per night, and every Santa night lines up with a drive-through night.
The Night-by-Night Schedule
| Date | Day | Santa and Bigfoot host | Drive-through lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 5 | Saturday | Altamont General Store | Open |
| Dec. 6 | Sunday | Negri's Italian | Open |
| Dec. 11 | Friday | Galleria Occidental | Open |
| Dec. 12 | Saturday | Hazel Restaurant | Open |
| Dec. 13 | Sunday | Negri's Italian | Open |
| Dec. 18 | Friday | Galleria Occidental | Open |
| Dec. 19 | Saturday | Inn at Occidental | Open |
| Dec. 20 | Sunday | Inn at Occidental | Open |
| Dec. 21 | Monday | Lake Imagery Gallery and Studio | Open |
The hosts cover a lot of ground. Altamont General Store runs a coffee bar, restaurant, wine shop and retail market space. Negri's Italian Dinners is a restaurant and bar. Galleria Occidental is an eclectic gift shop. Lake Imagery Gallery and Studio sells original paintings, prints and cards by Laura L. Lake. Depending on the night, a Santa visit can come with dinner, a gift stop or a gallery browse.
The Lights Come First, Five Minutes Up the Road
Alliance Redwoods sits about five minutes from downtown, and the drive-through is built to send families into town afterward. You stay in your car the whole time you're on the property. Everything else happens in Occidental.
The practical details from Alliance Redwoods:
- $10 per car, reservations required, with tickets on sale since Nov. 1
- Vans and smaller vehicles only; no buses or limos
- About 15 minutes to drive through, with up to 30 minutes of waiting in the parking lot at peak times
- Questions go to 707-874-3507 or [email protected]
Alliance says the reservation system is designed to keep traffic from backing up onto the highway. Your reservation time sets the evening. A 5:30 slot gets you downtown early, and a later slot gets you there closer to dinner.
Weekend One: The Choir Opens Before Santa Does
December starts with music at the Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court. The Occidental Community Choir performs "When I Rise Up" on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. Admission is $25, children 12 and under get in free, and the choir says tickets go on sale in November.
The Friday concert comes the night before the lights open, so Dec. 4 is a music-only evening in town. The Saturday and Sunday matinees end before the drive-through starts at 5:30. On Dec. 5 you can catch the 3 p.m. show, drive the lights and then see Santa and Bigfoot at Altamont General Store. Sunday, Dec. 6 works the same way, ending at Negri's Italian.
OCA's holiday-season music starts even earlier, with a show that isn't the choir's. Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands play Sunday, Nov. 29, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 2:30, and tickets are $35, or $30 for members.
Weekend Two: The Faire Weekend Is the Busiest
The second weekend has the most going on. The Occidental Community Council's Holiday Crafts Faire runs Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12 and 13. It takes place at the Occidental Community Center, 3920 Bohemian Highway. The Council calls the faire its major fundraiser and lists more than 35 local and regional artists, a bucket raffle, food and baked goods. Last year's faire also included live entertainment and a tree lighting ceremony, according to the Press Democrat. Faire details are posted on the Community Council's site.
That weekend runs three evenings in a row, each with a different host:
- Friday, Dec. 11: Galleria Occidental, a gift shop, the night before the faire opens.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Hazel Restaurant, after the first day of the faire.
- Sunday, Dec. 13: Negri's Italian, its second turn as host.
Hazel's night is the first holiday season at its new address. Sonoma Magazine reported this summer that Hazel reopened at 3688 Bohemian Highway, in the former Barley & Hops building. Bohemian Bistro now operates in its old space at 3782 Bohemian Highway. If you still picture Hazel at the old address, use 3688 on Dec. 12.
The Final Stretch Belongs to the Inn
The schedule ends with four evenings in a row, Friday through Monday, Dec. 18 to 21. Galleria Occidental hosts Santa and Bigfoot on Friday. The Inn at Occidental has them Saturday and Sunday, and Lake Imagery Gallery and Studio closes the run on Monday, Dec. 21.
The Inn also runs its own Christmas celebration all four of those nights, Dec. 18 to 21, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Inn's listing calls Bigfoot "an Occidental holiday tradition." Its evenings include local wines at the wine bar, Christmas carols around the piano, courtyard fire pits, and free hot chocolate and Christmas cookies for kids. The restaurant serves festive food. That gives the last stretch a gathering spot in town on all four evenings.
Alliance Redwoods also lists discounted overnight stays at the Inn at Occidental as part of the event. That's worth passing along if relatives are visiting for the holidays and want to stay downtown after the lights.
Planning a Night Around One Address
A schedule built on one host per night makes the evening easy to plan. Pick a date from the table, book a drive-through slot at Alliance Redwoods, and head to that night's host business. On Dec. 5 that's the Altamont General Store. On Dec. 12 it's Hazel at 3688 Bohemian Highway. On Dec. 21, Lake Imagery Gallery and Studio, the last night of the season. Visiting on a Thursday out of habit from last year means arriving on a night with no lights and no Santa on the 2026 calendar.
When dates overlap, go by the organizer's own page. Use the choir's page for concerts, the Community Council's page for the faire and Alliance Redwoods for the lights and the Santa rotation.
Hosting family in west county this December, or thinking about a place where Santa and Bigfoot are part of the season? Kris Lepore - KJL Coastal knows Occidental's holiday calendar and the roads in and out of town. Let's Connect, and we can plan your December visits together.