California's 'best' Christmas town gearing up for annual holiday festival

It's hard to believe that more than 80% of the year has passed, and the holiday season is fast approaching.

But for residents of California's "best" Christmas town, the real show is just beginning.

Solvang, the little Denmark-inspired hideaway in the Santa Ynez Valley in Southern California wine country, is gearing up for its annual Julefest — a monthlong celebration of the winter holidays.

Beginning Nov. 29 and running through Jan. 5, Julefest (pronounced Yool-fest), will welcome visitors to the "Danish Capital of America," to experience a Copenhagen Christmas and more.

Festivities will begin that Friday with the town's annual light and music show, that takes place in the center of town at Solvang Park. Every hour, on the hour, from 5 to 9 p.m., the street lights will dim and music will swell as a 10-minute light show, synced to Christmas classics, delights those who pause to take in the magic.

The nightly light show will take place throughout the duration of Julefest.

Also beginning beginning Nov. 29, Solvang's citywide scavenger hunt that invites guests to track down the Solvang Nisser — Danish for "gnome."

The gnomes can be found hidden throughout the town, encouraging tourists, as well as locals, to get outside and experience all that Solvang's downtown has to offer.

A list of clues for the "Nisser Adventure" can be found at the Solvang Visitor Center.

The town also hosts day and nighttime Julefest tours — on foot or by trolley — from November through Christmas, as well as photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus every Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

But the biggest festivities begin in earnest when the calendar flips to December, starting with the tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 6. The annual tree lighting includes live entertainment, caroling and ballerinas encircling the town's Christmas tree in Solvang Park. The event concludes with one of the nightly light shows

The following day on Dec. 7, the town holds the Solvang Julefest Parade, featuring dozens of parade floats, marching bands, horse troupes and more traveling across the town's surface streets. Organizers say this year's parade will feature more than 400 individual parade participants and over 50 parade groups.

After Christmas concludes, the town gathers for Copenhagen Countdown, a New Year's Eve countdown for the beginning of 2025 — in Denmark. That event takes place Dec. 31 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

And the grand finales of Julefest, which takes place in the New Year, is the annual Christmas tree burn at the Mission Santa Ines. Residents of the Santa Ynez Valley can bring their unwanted, dried Christmas trees to be set ablaze in a massive ceremonial kickoff to the New Year, as well as a fire safety demonstration for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The Christmas tree burn will take place on Jan. 10, weather permitting.

Solvang was named the “Best Small Town” to visit for Christmas in the state of California in 2022, and the second-best Christmas town in the entire nation earlier this year.

The town is known for its boutiques that sell traditional Danish items, including clogs and other knickknacks, as well as the world famous aebleskivers — a traditional holiday dessert that falls somewhere between donut hole and pancake ball.

Solvang has lodging options that range between cheap overnight motels or luxurious resorts, but it’s also only about two and a half hours from Los Angeles by car, meaning it can also work as a day trip.

For more about Solvang and its annual Julefest celebration, click here.