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Whether you’re looking to enjoy holiday light displays, shop for holly and Christmas trees, hone your interior design skills or explore the Santa Cruz Mountains in winter, you’ll find plenty of opportunities. Check out our December home & garden events calendar.
Home-delivered holiday trees
Those who want to deck the halls with the tallest of Christmas trees don’t necessarily need to have a large vehicle to transport one home. The following Peninsula Christmas tree lots offer home-delivery and set up services.
Santa’s Village at Webb Ranch
10 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily, now – until trees are sold out | Webb Ranch, 2718 Alpine Road, Portola Valley| More information
Santa’s Village at the family-operated Webb Ranch is a holiday tradition spanning more than six decades along the Peninsula. Every year, the 300-acre working ranch transforms into a holiday wonderland offering Christmas trees, garland, wreaths, lights, decorations, poinsettias, gifts, ornaments and more for sale. The trees, which are grown in Oregon and Washington and brought down to the ranch, are available for home delivery – arranged at the time of purchase. Reservations are required to visit Santa’s Village on weekends.
Sea Scout Christmas Tree Lot
11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday-Friday & 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, now – until trees are sold out | 3672 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto | More information
The Sea Scout Christmas Tree Lot provides residents an opportunity to buy a tree and support a local cause at the same time. Operated by volunteers, the tree lot is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Sea Scouts, a program of the Boy Scouts of America that offers maritime and life skills training. Funds from tree sales support local Scouting programs
The lot offers a variety of tree types and sizes, wreaths and garland. Once you visit the lot and select your tree, the Sea Scouts will deliver it and set it up in your home for an additional fee.
Spartans Tree Lot
4:30 – 7:30 p.m., Monday-Friday & 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday | Mountain View High School, 3535 Truman Ave.,Mountain View | More information and online store
Those who prefer to shop from home can order a Christmas tree for delivery online from the Spartans Tree Lot. The lot, which benefits Mountain View High School Athletics, offers premium, top-quality Noble Firs, Nordmann Firs, and Douglas Firs trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 9 feet. The lot also offers holiday decorations and supplies, such as hand-crafted reindeer, snowmen and wreaths. Trees can be purchased online or in-person. Home delivery is free and available within a 5 mile radius of the high school in the cities of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.
Winter Festival at Gamble Garden
Thursday – Saturday, Dec. 5-7 | Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto | Tickets and information
The historic estate and garden hosts a three-day Winter Festival that includes a grand opening party Dec. 5, a tree-lighting ceremony, a special holiday night with Santa (Dec. 6); a holiday ballet performance; crafts for kids; stilt walkers; holiday teas, music and a festive marketplace featuring vendors and local artisans.
During December, Gamble Garden will also host holiday luncheons and a tour of the home and its gardens.
Winter Festival times vary; luncheons are held Dec. 10-14, noon-2 p.m.,; wreath workshops Dec. 12, 6-8 p.m. and Dec. 14, 2-4p.m.; house and garden tour Dec. 17, 1:30 p.m.
El Camino Real: The story of California’s first highway
6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12 | Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin St. | Registration recommended
El Camino Real. The Royal Road. The San Francisco-San Jose Road. Highway 101. Highway 82. No matter what it has been called, the El Camino Real is a story of colonization, conversion, coercion, connections and commerce.
Stretching from San Diego to San Francisco, the roadway has a long history. Learn more about El Camino, its route across the state, and the local landmarks that have marked our community during a 90-minute historical talk presented by IdaRose Sylvester and Pamela Baird.
Walk-ins are welcome, but seating is limited.
Make a festive holiday wreath
6-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12 and 2-4 p.m, Saturday, Dec. 14 | Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto | $165 nonmembers | Tickets and information
Kick off the holiday season with a wreath making class at Gamble Garden. Instructor Katherine Glazier will guide you on how to construct and design a fragrant evergreen wreath for your front door or as a show-stopper table decoration.
Bring floral clippers. All other materials provided, including seasonal embellishments such as cones and ribbons. You are welcome to bring treasures from your home and garden to further enhance your design. Both classes cover the same material.
Exploring the Chestnut Trail – and other wintertime traditions
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 18 | Long Ridge Preserve, La Honda
| Free | More information
Enjoy a moderately-paced 5-mile hike with docent naturalists Kate Bauer, Mary Brunkhorst, Nick Yatsko and Dennis Smith. You’ll follow the Chestnut Trail along the ridge from Long Ridge Preserve to Skyline Ridge Preserve on this out and back trek with a 200-foot elevation gain. You’ll see chestnut and conifer trees and learn how traditions associated with these lovely trees have brought cheer to many a cold winter’s day. Bring a snack.
Meet at Peters Creek Roadside Parking, on the west side of Skyline Boulevard, 3.6 miles north of Highway 9. If you are coming from the north on Skyline Blvd., the pullout is just past Portola Heights Road on the right. From the south, the pullout is near the Palo Alto city limits sign on the right. There is additional parking across Skyline Boulevard at the Grizzly Flat trailhead (Santa Clara County Park).
Introduction to interior design
Wednesday, Dec. 18 | Palo Alto Adult School, online | $129 enrollment fee. Registration and more information.
Learn how to transform plain living spaces into beautiful and functional rooms during this six-week course that guides participants through the interior design process from start to finish: Participants will learn how to design every aspect of a room while taking into account color theory, industry trends, special arrangements, floor plans, design ideas and interior design basics. The class also covers sustainable designs and how to modify designs for people with special needs.
Interior designer Sara Smallwood, whose work includes everything from designing for residential homes to large international hospitality chains (such as Marriott International), will lead this course. Participants can choose to either enroll in the instructor-led course or the self-paced course, which offers multiple start dates. Registration begins Dec. 6.
Succulent open house & holiday plant sale
9 a.m.- noon., Saturday, Dec. 21 | Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Ave., San Jose | Free. More information
UC Master Gardeners will be holding a holiday succulent sale and open house in the demonstration garden at Martial Cottle Park. Visitors can pick out holiday gifts or treat themselves to succulent Yule logs, table arrangements, California native plants and a selection of other plants.
Holidays at Filoli
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.., Now – Jan. 12, Filoli, 86 Cañada Road, Woodside | Tickets and information.
Celebrate the holiday season Filoli. Now through Jan. 12, the historic home and its surrounding gardens will be decked in holiday cheer. During the day, enjoy warm drinks by a fire pit or stop for lunch at the Quail Café. In the evening, enter a dazzling world of holiday cheer as immersive displays and historic, natural beauty bring magic to returning favorites and new experiences.
Roses: Winter care & pruning
7 – 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15 | Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos | Free | More information
Learn about how winter care and pruning can make a big difference to healthy summer blooms. UC Master Gardener Martha Carpenter will give you tips on what to do right now to have healthy, vibrant flowers next summer and will do a pruning demonstration.
