Oakhurst's Holiday Season Starts the Friday Before Thanksgiving
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
On Friday, November 20, six days before Thanksgiving, three of the area's biggest holiday events open on the same evening. The season's other big date is Saturday, December 5, nine days after Thanksgiving, when an art sale, the town tree lighting and a musical all land on one Saturday along Highway 41.
That leaves two days when the whole season happens at once, plus a long weekend in between that belongs to Bass Lake. If you live here, planning for those two days covers most of what Oakhurst does in November and December.
The Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce runs the first event. Its Pink Friday Holiday Shopping Launch is set for Friday, November 20, from 4 to 8 pm in the Main Hall of the Oakhurst Community Center, 39800 Road 425B. Admission is free. The Visit Yosemite Madera County listing says the event will "bring local retailers and makers together in one festive shopping district" and invites shoppers to "get a head start on holiday shopping before Black Friday."
Pink Friday isn't new, but this year's version has a new name, venue and time. Last year the Chamber billed it as the 2nd Annual Pink Friday Shop-a-Palooza and held it at the Sierra Senior Center on Cinder Lane from 5 to 9 pm on November 21, 2025. This year it moves to the Community Center and starts an hour earlier. That earlier start matters, because the other two openings that night run into the evening.
The second opening is up Highway 41 in Fish Camp. The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad's Holiday Magic Train runs "from November 20th until the weather no longer permits." It's a one-hour ride on a decorated train through the forest. This is the train's second season. The railroad introduced it in 2025, its first holiday train ever, and ran it from November 21, 2025, through January 4, 2026. The railroad hasn't announced a closing date for this year. As before, weather decides when the season ends.
Current fares on the railroad's page:
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults, 13 and up | $63.60 |
| Children, 3 to 12 | $31.80 |
| Ages 2 and under | Free |
| First Class Caboose, 3 and up | $132.50 |
| First Class Cupola, 3 and up | $159 |
Departure times are posted on the railroad's live schedule, and tickets are sold online through its booking link.
The third opening is back in town. At 7 pm the Golden Chain Theatre opens "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Musical" at 42130 Highway 41. According to the theatre's own history, Golden Chain started in 1967 with its first shows at the Oakhurst Community Center, the same building hosting Pink Friday that afternoon. The railroad dates its first trip to 1967 as well, and the Stauffer family still runs it. So the two oldest events on the season's opening night both began the same year.
Put together, one Friday evening could go like this:
The musical runs 15 times, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from November 20 through December 20. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7 pm and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $15 for seniors, students and military, and $13 for children 12 and under, sold through the theatre's Arts People ticketing page. Golden Chain is in its 59th season this year. Sierra News Online was calling its December production the theatre's "annual holiday show" back in 2017.
The show's weekend schedule lines up with every other big date this season. There are performances on opening night, on Thanksgiving weekend and on the night of the tree lighting. Golden Chain is the one event that runs through all of it.
The week after Pink Friday, the action shifts up the hill to The Pines Village at 54432 Road 432. Here's the Bass Lake lineup:
Oakhurst's own tree goes up the following Saturday. Lighting it a week after Bass Lake means the two towns' celebrations never compete for the same crowd. Golden Chain keeps its 7 pm Friday and Saturday shows and 2 pm Sunday matinee that weekend, so an evening at the theatre still fits around the Bass Lake parades.
The second big day happens entirely on one stretch of Highway 41.
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 11 am to 3 pm | Holiday Art Sale, Yosemite Sierra Artists Gallery | 40807 Highway 41 |
| 4 pm | Tree lighting vendors, crafts and food open | Ditton's Talking Bear, Highway 41 and Road 426 |
| 4:30 pm | Music and entertainment | Ditton's Talking Bear |
| 6 pm | 38th Annual Oakhurst Community Christmas Tree Lighting, then Santa arrives by sleigh | Ditton's Talking Bear |
| 7 pm | "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Musical" | Golden Chain Theatre, 42130 Highway 41 |
The art sale wraps up an hour before the tree-lighting vendors open, so you can do both. According to its event listing, the tree lighting is free and happens "rain, snow, or shine." It's held on the first Saturday of December, which lands on the 5th this year. Sierra News Online's coverage of last year's event shows the same corner and the same 4 to 9 pm window for the 37th lighting on December 6, 2025. The Visit Yosemite Madera County holiday roundup promises hot chocolate, sweets, local vendors and carols.
If you'd rather eat before the tree lighting than snack from the vendors, Bigfoot Bakery & Grill sits at 40240 Highway 41, on the same block of addresses as Ditton's Talking Bear. It opened in March 2026 in the old Burger King building and serves breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and pastries, according to YourCentralValley.com. This will be its first holiday season on the strip.
After the lighting there's still time for the 7 pm show at Golden Chain, a bit farther up Highway 41 at 42130. The theatre's two remaining weekends follow on December 11 to 13 and December 18 to 20, and the final show is the 2 pm matinee on Sunday, December 20.
When the curtain comes down at Golden Chain, the Holiday Magic Train is the one thing left on the calendar. It keeps running into late December, or until snow and ice stop it, according to the Visit Yosemite Madera County roundup. Last year it ran into the first week of January. If the train is on your list, booking a date before late December leaves more room before weather becomes a factor. Check the railroad's live schedule for departures first.
Here's the whole season at a glance:
| Date | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 20 | Pink Friday, train opens, Golden Chain opening night |
| Nov 27 to 29 | Bass Lake parades, crafts fair and rink opening |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Art sale, 38th Oakhurst tree lighting, 7 pm show |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Final Golden Chain matinee |
| Late Dec | Train runs until weather ends the season |
If you're hosting family over the holidays and want help deciding which of these dates suit a first visit to the mountains, Shannon O'Brien is happy to talk through the calendar. Whether you're welcoming guests or thinking about putting down roots near Highway 41 yourself, ask for a Tahoe market report and consultation and we'll start there.
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40307 Highway 41 Oakhurst, CA 93644