Winter Fest OC's dates read Nov. 27 through Jan. 3, 2027. That span covers 38 days, and the published schedule fills 28 of them. Only 10 of those open nights fall before Dec. 17.
The city calendar puts Snoopy House on the City Hall front lawn at 77 Fair Dr. for one week, Dec. 11 through 18. Winter Fest sits a few addresses away at 88 Fair Dr. The two biggest local holiday draws share a street, but their calendars mostly don't line up. Planning December around Fair Drive means planning around the gaps.
Thirty-Eight Days on the Banner, Twenty-Eight on the Schedule
Winter Fest is a PSQ Production. It's an independent promoter's event hosted by the OC Fair & Event Center in Lot A, and it covers a lot of ground. The fairgrounds' listing describes ice tubing, ice skating, mini slides, snowball tossing, falling snow, more than 30 carnival rides and attractions, live entertainment, holiday treats and nightly tree lighting ceremonies.
The OC Fair & Event Center's Winter Fest page lays the season out in four blocks:
- Nov. 27–29, Thanksgiving weekend: Friday 5–10 p.m., Saturday 4–11 p.m., Sunday 4–10 p.m.
- Dec. 3–5: Thursday 5–10 p.m., Friday 4–11 p.m., Saturday 4–10 p.m.
- Dec. 10–13: Thursday and Friday 5–10 p.m., Saturday 4–11 p.m., Sunday 4–10 p.m.
- Dec. 17–Jan. 3: Monday through Friday 5–10 p.m., Saturday 4–11 p.m., Sunday 4–10 p.m., with New Year's Eve running 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
The listed dates skip Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, Dec. 6 through 9, and Dec. 14 through 16. For the first three weeks, Winter Fest is a long-weekend event. From Dec. 17 on, it opens every night through Jan. 3.
Parking is $15. General admission prices vary by date, and tickets are sold through WinterFestOC.com.
At 77 Fair Drive, Snoopy House Gets Eight Nights
Snoopy House is the older tradition by decades. The Daily Pilot reported in 2015 that the display started in 1966 at a family's Eastside Costa Mesa home and moved to City Hall in 2011. The Daily Pilot's 2011 coverage of that first City Hall season described a giant dollhouse, a faux skating rink, a photo booth and Santa photos. The city asked for volunteers to help put it together. By 2015 the Pilot was describing Peanuts displays, snow deliveries, Santa photos and fundraising booths for youth nonprofits, and it estimated 80,000 visitors a year.
Both of those seasons ran through Dec. 23. The city's calendar entry for 2026 lists a shorter run, Friday, Dec. 11 through Friday, Dec. 18, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. each evening on the City Hall front lawn. That's eight evenings, all before the last full week before Christmas. If the house is part of your family's December, put a date from that week on the calendar now. Don't save it for the days just before Christmas.
The Five Nights Both Are Running
Put the two schedules side by side and the overlap is narrow. Snoopy House is open only during its one week, and Winter Fest skips Dec. 14, 15 and 16 in the middle of it. That leaves five evenings when both are open:
| Date | Snoopy House | Winter Fest OC |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Dec. 11 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | 5–10 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | 4–11 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | 4–10 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 17 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | 5–10 p.m. |
| Friday, Dec. 18 | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | 5–10 p.m. |
Dec. 11–13 is the only weekend when both are open. On Saturday, Dec. 12, Winter Fest opens at 4 p.m., an hour and a half before the lights go on at City Hall, and stays open until 11 p.m. That gives a family the longest evening of the season to do both. Snoopy House closes at 8:30 every night, so the order that works is City Hall first and Lot A after.
The same weekend is also the first weekend of the Nutcracker run at Segerstrom Hall, which is covered further down.
Before the Lights, a Morning in the Millennium Barn
The fairgrounds' quietest holiday event comes a week earlier and needs the most notice. Centennial Farm's Make It, Take It – DIY Winter Wreaths class meets Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Millennium Barn. Sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. The fairgrounds call it a beloved tradition at Centennial Farm. The $85 fee covers fresh greens, materials and instruction. Ribbon and décor choices are limited, so participants are encouraged to bring their own, along with pruners and gloves.
The RSVP deadline is Nov. 29, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. That's also the last night of Winter Fest's opening weekend, so the sign-up is due before most of December's Fair Drive plans have even started. Cancellations within seven days of the class aren't refunded, and booking fees are nonrefundable in any case. Registration goes through the Centennial Farm Garden Classes page.
Dec. 5 is also a Winter Fest night, with Lot A open from 4 to 10 p.m. The afternoon wreath session ends at 3:30 p.m. on the same fairgrounds. A family could take a finished wreath to the car and be at Winter Fest when it opens half an hour later.
Segerstrom's Calendar Covers the Off Nights
The Fair Drive schedule leaves gaps, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts calendar covers some of them. American Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker, with Pacific Symphony, plays Segerstrom Hall from Dec. 10 to 24. Performances are scheduled Dec. 10–13, Dec. 15–20 and Dec. 22–24.
Two dates stand out against the Fair Drive calendar:
- Tuesday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 16. Winter Fest isn't on the schedule either night, but Snoopy House is open and the Nutcracker has performances. It's a quieter midweek option for anyone who wants the City Hall display without the fairgrounds.
- Thursday, Dec. 10. The ballet opens the same night Winter Fest begins its Dec. 10–13 block and the night before Snoopy House goes up. It's the first time all of December's main stages are active within a day of each other.
From Dec. 17 on, the schedules settle down. Winter Fest is open nightly, Snoopy House has its last two evenings, and the Nutcracker plays most nights through Christmas Eve. In the first three weeks of December, the calendar matters a lot more.
A Short Planning Sheet for Fair Drive
Here are the key dates in order:
- Nov. 27: Winter Fest OC opens in Lot A, OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr.
- Nov. 29: RSVP deadline for the Dec. 5 Centennial Farm wreath class.
- Dec. 5: Wreath sessions in the Millennium Barn, then Winter Fest from 4 p.m.
- Dec. 10: The Nutcracker opens at Segerstrom Hall.
- Dec. 11–13: The only weekend when Snoopy House and Winter Fest are both open.
- Dec. 17: Winter Fest begins nightly hours through Jan. 3.
- Dec. 18: Last listed evening for Snoopy House at 77 Fair Dr.
- Dec. 31: Winter Fest stays open until 12:30 a.m.
At The Mowery Group, we pay attention to how Costa Mesa's calendar is set up as well as to the homes around it, because both shape how people experience the city. If you have questions about the city or your own plans, we're glad to talk them through. Schedule a free consultation whenever it suits you.
