At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, the doors open at Casa Romantica for the Teddy Bear Christmas Tea. About ninety minutes later, Santa drives down Avenida Del Mar from the top of the street. By 4:30 p.m., the City's Santa's Village by the Sea is running at the Community Center on Calle Seville. That's three organizers and three venues in one afternoon, and the evening is still young.
Most of San Clemente's confirmed holiday calendar works this way in 2026. Nearly every event on the books falls on two weekends, December 3 through 6 and December 11 through 12. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens hosts the most events across both of them. Plan around those two weekends and you have December covered.
The Saturday Before It All Starts
The season opens downtown with Shop Small Saturday on November 28. The San Clemente Downtown Business Association lists it for participating businesses across town. Since it falls two days after Thanksgiving, it also works as a scouting trip for the bigger downtown night a week later.
Saturday, December 5, Hour by Hour
The first Saturday in December is San Clemente's busiest holiday day, and the events link up neatly if you know the order.
| Time | Where | What | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2:30 p.m. | Casa Romantica, Main Salon, 415 Avenida Granada | Teddy Bear Christmas Tea, food served at 2:45 | $85, $70 for members |
| 4:00 p.m. | Avenida Del Mar | Puttin' on the Glitz begins | Free to stroll |
| 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. | Top of Avenida Del Mar | Santa's drive down the avenue | Free |
| 4:30 p.m. | Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville | Santa's Village by the Sea opens | Activity wristband for some activities |
| 9:00 p.m. | Del Mar and the Community Center | Both events wrap up |
The Teddy Bear Christmas Tea is the afternoon's only ticketed start. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and food comes out at 2:45. Santa's drive down Del Mar begins about ninety minutes after the doors open.
The downtown evening is the Downtown Business Association's Puttin' on the Glitz, running 4 to 9 p.m. The association describes late-hours holiday shopping and dining, live music, carolers, street musicians, sweet treats, community vendor booths and a Silent Disco. Santa's arrival starts it off. He drives down Avenida Del Mar from the top of the street, starting between 4 and 4:30 p.m. The association also points people from Del Mar down the street to the City's event, which it says has a sledding hill, holiday crafts and visits with St. Nick.
That City event is Santa's Village by the Sea, listed for 4:30 to 9 p.m. at the Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville. Activity wristbands are on sale through the City's registration page, and Gingerbread House Contest registration is open.
Last year's event gives a sense of how the wristband works. In 2025 it cost $12 presale or $15 day-of, with a 25% resident discount. It covered unlimited snow-hill rides, holiday games, crafts, and one hot cocoa and one kettle corn per wristband while supplies lasted. The City's 2025 Santa's Village listing made entry, Santa visits, the tree lighting and gingerbread viewing free. Check the City's page for this year's details before you go.
The gingerbread houses
The Gingerbread House Contest is the one part of December 5 that takes planning ahead. San Clemente Times described last year's format:
- Three divisions: Individual Youth for ages 15 and under, Individual Adults for 16 and over, and Family/Group
- Judging on originality, creativity, difficulty, precision and appearance
- Awards for the top three in each division, plus a People's Choice Award
- After the event, the houses moved to the San Clemente Art Gallery for display through the following Thursday
Preregistration was required in 2025. For 2026, registration runs through the City's event page.
Thursday and Sunday Frame the Saturday
December 5 is the middle of a four-day stretch, and Casa Romantica holds both ends.
On Thursday, December 3, Ballet Academy & Movement performs The Nutcracker in Casa Romantica's Main Salon from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $60.
On Sunday, December 6, the Christmas Open House runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free. Casa Romantica describes holiday décor and letters to Santa. For families who missed Santa on Del Mar the night before, Sunday morning is another chance to give him a letter.
Put together, you can fill all four days without repeating anything:
- Thursday, Dec. 3: The Nutcracker, 7 p.m., Casa Romantica
- Saturday, Dec. 5, afternoon: Teddy Bear Christmas Tea, 2:30 p.m., Casa Romantica
- Saturday, Dec. 5, evening: Santa on Avenida Del Mar, the Glitz, and Santa's Village on Calle Seville
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Christmas Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Casa Romantica
The Weeknights Between the Weekends
The days between the two weekends are mostly quiet, with a few small events, almost all of them at Casa Romantica.
On Tuesday, December 8, Casa hosts a holiday wine-bottle floral workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60, or $40 for members, and it's for ages 21 and up.
The Second Weekend Is Quieter
The second weekend is smaller, built around an evening at Casa Romantica, an art market on the library lawns and a choir.
Friday, December 11 brings Christmas Nights @ the Casa from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is $15, $10 for members, and free for children 12 and under. At $15 for an adult and nothing for young kids, it's the cheapest ticketed holiday evening on Casa's December calendar.
Saturday, December 12 fills two parts of the day:
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The San Clemente Village Art Faire returns to the lawns at the San Clemente Library and Community Center, 242 Avenida Del Mar. It's the last Art Faire on the 2026 schedule.
- 3 p.m.: The San Clemente Choral Society performs its Fall 2026 concert at St. Andrew's By the Sea, 2001 Calle Frontera.
The two events overlap by an hour, so a morning at the Art Faire and an afternoon at the concert fit easily into one Saturday.
After the 12th, the Calendar Thins Out
Once the second weekend ends, there's far less on the confirmed calendar. Casa Romantica keeps a few events going:
- Tuesday, December 15: A succulent Christmas-tree centerpiece workshop, 6 to 7:30 p.m., $55, or $45 for members, ages 21 and up.
- Friday, December 18: Tyler Penna is listed on Casa's Coffee Concerts with High Tide Coffee schedule.
So the shape of the month is clear. December 3 through 6 brings ballet, tea, Santa's drive down Del Mar, the City's village on Calle Seville and a free Sunday open house. December 11 and 12 bring an evening at the Casa, the final Art Faire of the year and a 3 p.m. choral concert. The Nutcracker, the tea and the workshops all sell tickets, so those are the ones to book this month.
If you're spending the holidays in your San Clemente home and wondering what it might be worth in the new year, Kathy Samuel can prepare a valuation for you, privately and on your schedule. Request a Private Home Valuation, and enjoy the Glitz.
