Two local groups run downtown Boulder Creek's holiday kickoff this year, and they hold their events on back-to-back days. On Friday, Dec. 4, First Friday Boulder Creek and the Boulder Creek Business Association put on their Ugly Sweater market in the evening. On Saturday, Dec. 5, the Boulder Creek Recreation and Parks District holds its Winter Festival on Forest Street, with the tree lighting at 6:15 p.m.
Both events use Forest Street, but they're built for different crowds and different hours. Friday is a three-hour evening market with local vendors, music, food and drinks. Saturday starts in the afternoon and has Santa, a snow play area and a hay ride. You can try to do everything in one visit, but it works better to give each night its own job.
How the two days compare
| Friday, Dec. 4 | Saturday, Dec. 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Event | First Friday Boulder Creek: Market and Ugly Sweater Contest | BCRPD Winter Festival |
| Hosts | First Friday Boulder Creek with the Boulder Creek Business Association | Boulder Creek Recreation and Parks District |
| Hours | 5 to 8 p.m. | Starts at 2 p.m., tree lighting at 6:15 p.m. |
| Where | Booths throughout downtown and on Forest Street, west side of Highway 9 | Forest Street, downtown |
| What it costs | Free to walk; vendors sell food, drink and crafts | Free to enter; Santa photos are $10 per family |
Friday night: the market and the sweaters
First Friday Boulder Creek is the monthly evening market run with the Boulder Creek Business Association. In December it turns into the Market and Ugly Sweater Contest, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4. Vendor booths are set up all through downtown and along Forest Street, on the west side of Highway 9. Visit Santa Cruz County's listing promises arts and crafts, live music, food and drink.
Friday is your best night for holiday shopping. The market is mostly local shops and specialty vendors, and it's done by 8 p.m. That leaves time for dinner on Central Avenue without having to hold a spot for the tree lighting. If you have a sweater you've been saving for exactly this, Friday is the night to wear it.
Saturday afternoon: Santa, snow and the tree
The Winter Festival is the parks district's event, and Visit Santa Cruz County's listing describes it as the holidays "brought to you in just one day." Entry is free. Along Forest Street you'll find local artisan vendors, a food court, and adult drinks, non-alcoholic drinks and s'mores sets for sale. BCRPD runs three free activities: a snow play area, a holiday hay ride and community crafting.
The schedule has two Santa windows, and the second one only works if you stay into the evening:
- 2 to 3 p.m. First session of Santa photos, $10 per family.
- Afternoon. Snow play, the hay ride, crafting and the vendor stalls.
- 6:15 p.m. Tree lighting ceremony.
- 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Second session of Santa photos, $10 per family.
If you have small kids and an early bedtime, plan on the 2 p.m. photo slot and the free activities, and decide on the tree lighting when it gets close. If your family can stay out after dark, come later. You'll catch the lighting at 6:15 p.m., get photos right after, and the snow and hay ride lines will have had all afternoon to shorten.
The parks district also has a vendor sign-up form on its events page if you'd rather sell at the festival than shop it.
Where to eat between the booths
Both events end at or after dinnertime, so a meal downtown fits right in. The newest option is at 13200 Central Ave.
Round Table Pizza opened in October in the Burl Building, in the former Boulder Creek Pizza & Pub space, according to the San Lorenzo Valley Post. Owner Amir Sadat also runs the Round Table in Felton Fair Shopping Center. The Post reported that he kept the timber posts and beams and the split-level dining room, and added new wood floors, fresh paint and several big-screen TVs. The Post lists Suite B hours as 10:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. That means it's still open when the Friday market winds down at 8 and after the Saturday tree lighting. The phone number is (831) 338-2141, and the Post's article links to online ordering if you'd rather take a large pie home than wait for a table.
The business association's food and drink directory includes more places within walking distance of Forest Street:
- Taqueria Los Gallos, 13070 Central Ave.
- Jenna Sue's Cafe, 13090 Highway 9
- Bella's Cafe, 13132 Central Ave.
- The Red Pearl, 13151 Highway 9
- Treehouse Cafe, 13266 Highway 9
- Tae's Edo Sushi, 13271 Highway 9, which the San Lorenzo Valley Post profiled for its dedicated following
Some of these lean toward breakfast and lunch, so check each one's current hours before you plan a meal around the evening events. The cafes are better for a Saturday late breakfast before the 2 p.m. start than for a post-tree-lighting dinner.
One week later: the parks district's dinner show
The parks district's holiday season keeps going after the festival. On Dec. 12, BCRPD hosts a holiday dinner and show, "Once Upon a Time in a Jungle," subtitled "Snow White & the 7 Trolls." Dinner is from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and the show runs from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. If you liked Saturday's festival, this is an early evening out with the same organizers. The BCRPD events page has the details on seating and tickets.
You probably already know where the district is downtown. Its Downtown Boulder Creek Recreation Center is at 13333 Middleton Ave. Junction Park is at 13264 Middleton Ave., at the corner of Middleton and Railroad avenues, one block from the district's main facility.
Coming down Highway 9 from north of town
If you live up the highway toward Big Basin, the trip to Forest Street takes you through the Highway 9 bridge replacement project. Caltrans is replacing the San Lorenzo River Bridge and the Kings Creek Bridge north of Boulder Creek. Crews are in the first phase, which closes the southbound lane while the southbound half of each bridge is rebuilt. Traffic through both work zones is under 24/7 one-way signal control.
The project also brings occasional full overnight closures. In late October, Caltrans fully closed the highway overnight. On Oct. 26 it was closed at the San Lorenzo River Bridge, between Riverdale Boulevard and Monaco Lane. On Oct. 27 it was closed at the Kings Creek Bridge, between Pool Drive and Primavera/Old County Highway, and the detour ran through Highway 17. In its Oct. 22 notice, Caltrans called these "one of several full overnight closures" planned for the two projects and said it would keep providing updates as those closures happen. The October closures started at 7 or 8 p.m., so if Caltrans schedules another one, it's the late drive home after Friday's market or the Saturday tree lighting that would be affected. Caltrans Central Coast District 5 posts updates on X at @CaltransD5 and on its district page, so check that week. Caltrans's project page estimates completion in December 2028, so the signals will likely be there for a few more holiday seasons.
I grew up in Santa Cruz County, and it's always good to see small downtowns like Boulder Creek's fill up for the holidays. If you're out on Forest Street that weekend and want to talk about anything to do with your home, whether you're planning a project or just curious about the valley, Hallie Anzalone would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
