The holidays are just two months away, which means Christmas trees are about to go up, light ceremonies are returning, ice rinks are opening, carols will soon be everywhere, and, of course, Christmas markets are making their annual comeback.
If you’re craving a true European-style holiday without going through LAX, there’s a particularly festive destination on the Central Coast that brings a little slice of Germany to the Golden State.
Cambria Christmas Market is back with 3 million lights
The 15th annual Cambria Christmas Market will return from November 27 through December 31, 2026, transforming the grounds of Cambria Pines Lodge and the adjacent Cambria Nursery into a walk-through holiday wonderland.
Open from 5 PM to 9 PM, the headline attraction is hard to miss: more than 3 million twinkling lights illuminate themed installations throughout the property.
- 🎄 12 Days of Christmas
- 🌉 Golden Gate Bridge
- 🌈 Rainbow Tunnel
- ❄️ Blizzard Tunnel
- 📖 A Christmas Carol-inspired scenes
- 👹 Krampus light display
Beyond the lights, the market has an artisan village with handmade gifts and local goods, plus German booths selling imported nutcrackers, incense smokers and glass-blown ornaments. Visitors can also stop by Santa’s house, listen to live music and carolers, warm up around fire pits, or hop aboard the holiday train, which travels through displays that can’t be seen from the main walking route.
Food is part of the experience, too, of course. The Biergarten serves German-inspired fare alongside glühwein, spiked cocoa, craft beer, hot cider and cocoa, while wood-fired pizza and other seasonal bites are available throughout the event.
How Cambria’s German Christmas market began
The market dates back to 2011, when Cambria Pines Lodge owner Dirk Winter turned his family’s German heritage and love of European Christmas markets into a seasonal event. The original idea was also practical: bring more visitors to Cambria during what had historically been a quieter time of year.
What started as a smaller German-style market has since grown into one of the state’s signature holiday traditions and quickly became the largest holiday market of its kind.
