At 5:15 p.m. this Saturday, the tree at the Fountains at Roseville lights up. Carols start an hour and fifteen minutes earlier, and afterward an indoor room fills with a forest of decorated trees that will be raffled off. Less than two weeks later, downtown Roseville holds three evenings in a row: the Tree Grove and the city's Christmas tree lighting on Vernon Street Town Square, then a beer and wine tasting.
The Galleria's west side sits between those two places, and this season it is a work zone. Two of Roseville's main gathering spaces are changing shape at once. The mall's outdoor promenade is under construction, with Westfield listing the new district as coming in summer 2027, and the city plans to start renovating the Vernon Street Town Square fountain and splash pad in January 2027. That makes this December the last one before both look different, and it changes where the season's outdoor evenings happen.
The Galleria's Holidays Move Indoors While The Trails Gets Built
Westfield is turning the Galleria's west side into an open-air district called The Trails, which the mall now lists as coming in summer 2027. According to ABC10's coverage of the project, the plan calls for redesigned storefronts, outdoor dining, pedestrian paths, shaded gathering areas, new landscaping and lighting, and a children's play area. Westfield says the center and the promenade restaurants stay open while the work is underway.
The mall's holiday program fits that. Its tree lighting was on Nov. 14, so the remaining events are mostly scheduled appointments inside the building. From the Galleria's holiday page:
- Photos with Santa run through Dec. 24. Reservations are recommended, and walk-ups are taken as space allows.
- Santa Paws pet photo nights are on Mondays: Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 from 4 to 8 p.m., and Dec. 7 from 4 to 9 p.m. Pets must be leashed or in carriers.
- Santa Cares, a quiet, sensory-friendly visit with Santa, is Sunday, Dec. 6, from 8 to 9 a.m. Reservations are required.
- A menorah lighting ceremony follows that evening, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m.
- The Giving Machine, a vending-style machine for donating to charitable causes, runs Dec. 11 through Jan. 4.
The Holiday Chalets feature three vendors: Eli Ornaments with personalized ornaments, Forever Charms with permanent jewelry, and The Sankofa Center with handcrafted, globally inspired goods.
Most of the new names announced for the Galleria are slated for 2027. Arc'teryx is planning its first standalone Sacramento-area store there, along with the tea chain CHAGEE and Free People Movement, all as part of what WhatNow reported as the mall's corridor closure project. Joe & The Juice is planned for the second level of the Nordstrom wing, and WhatNow reported that it expects to open in summer 2027. Bacio di Latte, a Brazilian-style gelato shop, and Arhaus are both on the Trails tenant list. This year's Galleria visit is about Santa, pet photos and the chalets. The open-air promenade arrives next year.
Saturday Night Belongs to the Fountains
The Fountains at Roseville, across Galleria Boulevard at 1013 Galleria Blvd., holds the season's first outdoor tree lighting on the calendar from here. The Fountains Tree Lighting Celebration runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m., and the tree lights at 5:15. Singers Company and Voice Academy perform starting at 4 p.m., so arriving early gets you the music.
The Fountains' event listing puts the rest of the night indoors:
"After the tree lighting guests can enter our magical indoor space with ornament craft stations, to write and send letters to the North Pole, and stroll through the Enchanted Tree Walk! The decorated trees will be available to win in a raffle along with other prizes."
The listing also says the event happens rain or shine.
The Fountains stays busy after Saturday. Its holiday guide lists holiday décor, a firepit and an Elf Quest scavenger hunt starting Dec. 1. The Elf Quest runs Dec. 1 through Dec. 12. Visitors look for elves hidden at participating businesses and collect a sticker at each one, which makes it easy to fit into a regular weeknight errand.
On the same Saturday, the Maidu Museum & Historic Site has a Campfire and Rock Art Mysteries Tour and an archery session, both on Nov. 21. Check the museum's posted times before planning both outings for one day.
Dec. 2 Through Dec. 4 Downtown, Before the Square Changes
The downtown events come after Thanksgiving. The city runs them on three nights in a row, and each one draws a different crowd. The Tree Grove and the tree lighting take place in Vernon Street Town Square, where the city plans to start renovating the fountain and splash pad in January 2027.
| Night | Event | Time | Cost | What's there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Dec. 2 | Tree Grove | 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Not listed | Trees decorated by local businesses, organizations and schools; crafts, music, Santa and local vendors |
| Thursday, Dec. 3 | Christmas Tree Lighting | 6 to 8 p.m., tree lit at about 6:10 | Free | Cookie decorating, Santa, a kids' activity zone, music and food trucks from Sacto MoFo |
| Friday, Dec. 4 | North Pole Tavern | 6 to 8 p.m. | $12 for six tastings | Local wine and beer, plus food and treats for purchase |
At the Tree Grove, the community does the decorating. Local businesses, organizations and schools each dress a tree, and then the whole grove lights up together. Thursday is the city's official tree lighting. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and because the tree goes on at about 6:10, anyone who arrives at 6:30 will have missed it. The city posts a parking map for the lighting on its event page.
North Pole Tavern, the city's downtown holiday party, is the adults' night. The city's page lists the pourers as Bonitata Boutique Wine, Crooked Lane Brewing, Moksa Brewing, The Monk's Cellar, Satticus Cellars, Slice Beer and Wise Villa Winery and Restaurant. Food comes from Old Town Pizza and Auburn Cookie Co. Tickets are sold in advance through the city's event page.
The Gingerbread House Contest runs longer than the three-night stretch. Entries are on display in the lobby of 316 Vernon St. from Dec. 2 through Dec. 11. The public votes on favorites, and voting is open online too, so you can still cast one if you miss the display.
The Daytime Half of the Season Is Neighborhood Parks
Most of the season's anchor events happen after dark. The daytime options are smaller and spread across town, and this year two of them involve park spaces that have changed.
In Sierra Vista, the city lists Silver Spruce Park at 2050 Silver Spruce Drive as newly open. It is a 7.5-acre park, and its construction fences were down as of the city's October update. For residents on that side of town, it's a new place for a morning walk between holiday weekends.
At Woodbridge Park, 415 Sierra Blvd., the tennis and pickleball courts were still closed for final paint and striping in the city's latest update, with reopening expected in early December. The renovation turns one tennis court into two pickleball-only courts and adds pickleball lines to another tennis court. The city's park development page is where reopening updates are posted.
The Maidu Museum fills several December Saturdays:
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Story Saturday
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Painted Blessing Workshop
- Saturday, Dec. 19: archery
Dec. 5 also lands right after the downtown run. A family that went to Thursday's tree lighting can spend Saturday morning at the museum and then head to the Galleria's Santa Cares on Sunday, Dec. 6, or the menorah lighting that evening. On the Fountains side, the Elf Quest wraps up on Dec. 12, the same day as the Painted Blessing Workshop.
A Season Set Around Two Changing Squares
The calendar follows from the construction. With its west side being rebuilt, the Galleria holds its season indoors: Santa photos, pet nights, the chalets and the Giving Machine through Jan. 4. The outdoor evenings move to the Fountains on Nov. 21 and to downtown on Dec. 2, 3 and 4. Westfield lists The Trails as coming in summer 2027, and the city's fountain renovation on the Town Square is set to start in January. This year, the evenings to plan around are the Saturday at the Fountains and the three nights downtown.
If you're planning to sell in the spring, homes near these shopping and downtown areas are about to sit next to newly rebuilt public spaces, and that can be part of how a listing is presented. The team at Olani Properties follows those changes closely and can show you how they fit into your home's value. Get your free home valuation and start the new year knowing where you stand.
