When does the holiday season start at The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch? The first date on the calendar is 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, on the sidewalk outside Fleet Feet at 5980 Village Way, with a free 5K that collects canned food for the San Diego Food Bank.
After that run, the season comes down to a few dates. Saturday, Dec. 5 is the biggest day on the Village calendar. The following weekend brings back almost everything from that Saturday except the tree lighting. If you live in Pacific Highlands Ranch, that second weekend is the backup plan. If Dec. 5 already has a school concert, a work party or an airport run on it, your family can still get the train rides and Santa photos at the Village a week later.
Thanksgiving morning, before the oven goes on
The Fleet Feet Free Thanksgiving Day 5k Fun Run is set for Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, and registration costs $0. The Village's own event calendar lists the run on Wednesday, Nov. 25. That's because Wednesday is shirt-pickup day at the store, and Thursday is race day.
Fleet Feet calls it a "fun run," and the setup is simple:
- Start and finish: Fleet Feet San Diego, 5980 Village Way. The run starts at 8 a.m., and the event window runs to 10:30 a.m.
- Course: It stays on the sidewalk the whole way. The route is marked, but roads are not closed, so everyone follows pedestrian traffic laws.
- Shorter option: A marked turnaround sets up a 1-mile option.
- Strollers: Fleet Feet says strollers can handle the course.
- Donation: Bring canned food for the San Diego Food Bank.
- Registration deadline: Online registration closes at 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.
The shirts follow their own schedule. The first 175 registrants get a limited-edition 2026 Fleet Feet Thanksgiving Day 5k t-shirt. Extra shirts could be ordered online only through Wednesday, Nov. 11, and no shirts will be sold at the event. If you have a shirt coming, you can pick it up at the store Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or on race morning starting at 7:15 a.m.
After the run, Fleet Feet serves morning refreshments and offers early access to its Black Friday deals. Trader Joe's is also part of the Village, which helps if your Thanksgiving list still has a missing ingredient on it.
If you'd like a gentler start the week before, Fleet Feet's recurring Yoga for Runners with Priyanka Apte is on the Village calendar for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.
The December calendar, in one place
After Thanksgiving, the Village calendar goes quiet until the first weekend of December. Then most of the season lands on four days spread across two weekends. Here is every December 2026 holiday listing on the Village's events page, plus the Amalfi dinner nights on the same calendar.
| Date | Day | What's listed | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 4 | Friday | Amalfi live music and dinner with Roman Palacios | Not listed |
| Dec. 5 | Saturday | Holiday Train Rides | 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. |
| Dec. 5 | Saturday | Annual Tree Lighting & Photos with Santa | 5 – 7:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 6 | Sunday | Holiday Train Rides | From 10 a.m. |
| Dec. 12 | Saturday | Holiday Train Rides | From 10 a.m. |
| Dec. 13 | Sunday | Holiday Train Rides | From 10 a.m. |
| Dec. 13 | Sunday | Photos with Santa | 3 – 6 p.m. |
| Dec. 18 | Friday | Amalfi live music and dinner with Roman Palacios | Not listed |
The event pages don't list ticket prices for the train rides, the tree lighting or either Santa session. Check each listing closer to the date.
Saturday, Dec. 5: the day everything overlaps
The Holiday Train Rides start at 10 a.m. on Dec. 5 and run until 8 p.m. That's a 10-hour window, and it's the longest single block of holiday programming on the Village's December calendar. The Annual Tree Lighting & Photos with Santa runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. that evening, while the trains are still running.
That evening overlap matters if you're planning around kids. A family can arrive before 5 p.m. for a train ride, stay for the tree lighting and Santa, and still have half an hour of train service left after the lighting event wraps at 7:30. You don't need a second trip for anything.
Dinner is close by. The Village's dining directory lists 16 spots, including Pacific Social, Amalfi Pizza & Bar, Burger Lounge, Luna Grill, Ayu Sushi & Noodles, Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken, El Pueblo Mex Carmel Valley, Fresh Brothers and Jersey Mike's. Dessert stops on the same directory include Tous Les Jours, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Mad For Cheesecake, Cold Stone Creamery and Everbowl, and Starbucks Coffee is there for the parent who needs one.
The night before, Friday, Dec. 4, Amalfi has live music and dinner with Roman Palacios on the center calendar. That makes a Friday-night dinner and a Saturday family day an easy pair.
Dec. 12–13: the same trains and a second Santa
The second weekend is what makes the Village calendar forgiving. The Holiday Train Rides come back on Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13, after their first run on Dec. 5–6. On Sunday, Dec. 13, the Village also holds a separate Photos with Santa session from 3 to 6 p.m.
Add it up and the Dec. 13 Sunday afternoon has both the train rides and a Santa photo session. Only the tree lighting can't be repeated. If the first weekend fills up with other plans, Dec. 13 from 3 to 6 p.m. covers most of the season in three hours.
Santa photos are also on two different days of the week. The Dec. 5 session is on a Saturday evening and comes with the tree lighting. The Dec. 13 session is on a Sunday afternoon. That works better for kids who are done by dinnertime, and it fits a weekend that started with errands or sports.
The week before Christmas
Amalfi's second live music and dinner night with Roman Palacios is Friday, Dec. 18. It's the last holiday-season date on the Village's December calendar.
By then the trains are done and Santa has had both of his visits. The center is back to its regular tenants. On the shopping and service side, the Village directory lists Fleet Feet, Trader Joe's, Brilliant Diamonds Fine Jewelers, The UPS Store, Cleaners & More, Crunch Fitness, Elevate Training, ICE Recovery + Wellness and Revive Med Spa. In the last shipping week before Christmas, The UPS Store and the jeweler are on the same walkable center as the place you buy groceries. For people who live nearby, that cuts the season's errands down to one parking lot.
If you live near Village Way and are wondering how your Pacific Highlands Ranch home would compare with recent sales heading into the new year, The Higgins Group can put together a clear, data-backed picture before the January market picks up. Request a Complimentary Home Valuation.
