Holiday Event Guide
Festival of Trees Santa Clarita: 2026 Guide
The 24th annual Festival of Trees, presented by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, fills the Canyon Country Community Center November 20-22, 2026 with designer-decorated Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, wreaths, and vignettes that go to the highest bidder. It is the valley's official kickoff to holiday giving. Here is Sam Silver's complete guide.
October 16, 2026 Sam Silver 4 min read
Where Holiday Trees Go to Auction
The Festival of Trees turns the Canyon Country Community Center at 18410 Sierra Highway into a forest of one-of-a-kind Christmas trees for three days. Local designers, businesses, and community groups decorate full trees around themes, and each one goes to the highest bidder in silent and live auctions, alongside gingerbread houses, wreaths, and decorated vignettes. Every dollar raised supports Boys & Girls Club youth programs across the Santa Clarita Valley.
The weekend has two distinct experiences. Friday night, November 20, is the Magic of the Lights Gala, the upscale kickoff with dinner, cocktails, and first bidding on the showpiece trees. Saturday and Sunday are the family-friendly Community Days, where the whole valley comes to wander the tree forest, meet Santa-area characters, and bid into the final hours.
Festival of Trees at a Glance
24th
Annual edition, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of SCV
Nov 20-22
Canyon Country Community Center, 18410 Sierra Highway
2 ways
in: the Friday night Gala, or Saturday-Sunday Community Days
100%
of proceeds support local youth programs
Magic of the Lights Gala
The weekend opens Friday, November 20, with the Magic of the Lights Gala, an evening of dinner, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres wrapped around the first bidding opportunity on the festival's showpiece trees. In recent seasons the gala has run about $150 per person, and it sells out, so it is worth acting quickly when tickets go on sale through scvbgc.org.
For locals who love a good cause wrapped in event glam, this is the SCV's holiday party of record. Dress is festive, the tree forest is lit, and the live auction energy carries into the weekend.
Community Days
Saturday & Sunday, open to all
Saturday and Sunday bring the family-friendly Community Days: wander the designer tree forest, watch live entertainment, hit the Kids' Corner, and place your bids in the silent auction. Recent general admission has run $10 for adults and $5 for children, seniors, and military, with 2026 pricing posted as tickets go live. It is one of the most affordable ways to see the valley's most creative holiday decorating.
Bring the Tree Home
Silent & live auctions all weekend
The whole point of the festival: you can actually bid on and win a fully decorated designer tree, then hand it straight to someone special or keep it for your own living room. Past years have featured themed trees for every taste, from classic red and gold to movie and sports tributes.
Why This One Matters to Canyon Country
The Festival of Trees is one of those events that quietly does heavy lifting for the whole valley. It raises real money for kids, it brings thousands of visitors to the Canyon Country side of town, and it kicks off giving season the right way. I have watched families make it an annual tradition: Friday night gala for the grown-ups, Saturday morning with the kids, and the winning tree bid going to a grandparent. That is the SCV at its best.
Plan the weekend: Festival of Trees lands the same weekend as the second Jingle Fest-era shopping push. Pair it with Sam's holiday shopping guide, the Light Up Main Street countdown, and tree farm season to build a full local holiday week.
Tree season is here. Browse the full 2026 holiday events calendar, the holiday light displays guide, and Thanksgiving in the SCV for the complete season, or see what's fresh on What's New in SCV.
Making Canyon Country Home for the Holidays
Sam Silver has helped SCV families find the right address for 22 years. If the Festival of Trees makes you think about putting down roots near the east side of the valley, start with a no-pressure conversation.