How many addresses do you need to know to catch most of Winnemucca's Christmas season this year? Two cover nearly all of it. The Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce office sits at 30 W. Winnemucca Blvd. Nixon Lawn and the Winnemucca Convention Center East Hall share 50 W. Winnemucca Blvd. The Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Friday after it and the vendor sign-ups all run through that one block. The season then moves to Bridge Street for its finale.
The two biggest events also share a theme this year. The Winnemucca Host Lions Club is calling its Festival of Trees "Stars & Stripes Forever Christmas – Celebrating 250 Years." The Chamber's parade is "Stars, Stripes and Silent Nights: Celebrating 250 years of a Small Town Christmas." Last year the Festival of Trees was a Hawaiian Christmas. This year, red, white and blue run from the convention center to the parade route.
The four dates, in order
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Sip, Shop and Be Merry, 1–4 p.m., starting from the Chamber office.
- Friday, Nov. 27: The Community Christmas Tree Lighting on Nixon Lawn, 3–5 p.m. The Festival of Trees opens indoors at 5 p.m. and runs through 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: The Christmas Cops toy drive at Walmart, 3010 Potato Rd., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: The Christmas Parade of Lights on Bridge Street, 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 closes out a 10-walk year
The Chamber held a Sip & Shop nearly every month of 2026. The schedule opened Feb. 7 with "Wine, Shine & Galentine." It went on through "Vodka and Votes" in June and "Witches, Wine and Deals" in October. The November walk, "Sip, Shop and Be Merry," is the 10th and last on the calendar. It runs 1–4 p.m. and costs $20 per glass. You must be 21 or older to take part. What in the Mucc lists the Chamber office at 30 W. Winnemucca Blvd. as the venue.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving has become the holiday kickoff slot. Last year the same slot held the Chamber's "Christmas Kickoff Flannel and Fireside Hot Toddy Walk" on Nov. 22, 2025, also 1–4 p.m. and $20. For anyone planning holiday shopping downtown, that Saturday is the Chamber's opening day for the season.
Nov. 27 is a handoff between two events
The Friday after Thanksgiving holds two events at one address, organized by two different groups.
The Chamber and the City of Winnemucca host the 3rd Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting on Nixon Lawn from 3 to 5 p.m. It's free. Santa and the Mayor light the 18-foot tree at 5 p.m. The event listing also says the celebration "kicks off the Lions Club Festival of Trees, with doors opening at 5:00 PM!" So the countdown on the lawn and the opening of the East Hall happen at the same moment, about a building's width apart.
That timing shapes the evening. A family can arrive in daylight at 3 p.m. for the booths, stay for the lighting and then walk indoors to see the trees, without moving the car. The Chamber is still looking for vendors, local clubs and community groups to set up booths at the tree lighting. Registration forms are at the Chamber office, 30 W. Winnemucca Blvd., and the phone number is 775-623-2225.
Inside, the Winnemucca Host Lions Club's Festival of Trees is listed as free from 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, through 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, in the Convention Center East Hall. Here is how the club describes this year's festival:
"Join us as we celebrate the spirit of Christmas with a patriotic twist, honoring 250 years of American pride, unity, and tradition. Expect beautifully decorated trees inspired by red, white, and blue, community creativity, and the magic of the holiday season!"
The festival is the club's annual fundraiser. The club is also asking businesses, families and groups to take part, sponsor or donate a tree. You can reach them at 775-304-0396 or [email protected].
The hours are also shorter than last year. In 2025 the festival ran two separate blocks, 5–8 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday. This year's listing ends at 4 p.m. Saturday, an hour earlier than the 2025 Saturday close. If you plan to come back Saturday afternoon for a second look, go earlier rather than later.
Dec. 5 moves off the boulevard
The first Saturday in December is the season's one event that doesn't happen downtown. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office lists Christmas Cops for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Winnemucca Walmart, 3010 Potato Rd. The Sheriff's Office runs it with the Frontier Community Coalition and other local public-safety crews. They collect new, unwrapped toys and cash donations for Humboldt County families.
The drive runs a full nine-hour day, so you can stop by during an ordinary Saturday errand run. It also lands a week ahead of the parade, so the giving and the celebrating fall on separate weekends.
Dec. 12 brings the theme to Bridge Street
The Christmas Parade of Lights steps off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. The Chamber is inviting churches, businesses, individuals and nonprofits to enter. The Lions Club's trees carry "Stars & Stripes Forever" in late November. The Chamber closes the season with "Stars, Stripes and Silent Nights."
The Chamber's parade entry form lists these ground rules. Entrants should confirm them with the Chamber when they turn in the form:
- Lineup starts at 4:30 p.m. on Railroad Street in front of Spare-Time Bowling, first come, first in line.
- The parade travels down Bridge Street through the historic district and continues to Giroux Street.
- The Chamber asks floats not to break up after the route but to keep caroling around town.
- Thrown candy is not allowed.
- Entry forms are due by mail or in person at the Chamber by Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m.
- Chamber Check prizes go to the best-decorated floats in three categories: Church, Organizations/Individual and Business. To compete, a float has to show the group's name.
The caroling request matters for anyone watching away from downtown. Floats are encouraged to keep going past Giroux Street, so the lights may reach other streets after the official route ends. The Wednesday deadline falls four days after Christmas Cops, so the toy drive weekend is the last one before entries are due.
Two new stops on Bridge Street this year
The Bridge Street the floats pass has changed since last December.
Studio B Quilt Shop held its grand opening at 330 S. Bridge St. on Oct. 10. The Chamber hosted its ribbon cutting on Oct. 24, the Humboldt Sun reported. The shop carries fabrics and quilting supplies and offers classes, retreats and longarm quilting services. For anyone sewing a handmade gift or planning a tree skirt in red, white and blue, it's a downtown supplier that wasn't there last season.
Farther south, Imperial Meat Market opened a second location, a supermarket at 1200 S. Bridge St. The Humboldt Sun reported that it's open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The original meat market and taqueria stay at 5184 E. Winnemucca Blvd. Those daily hours cover Thanksgiving week shopping and the run-up to the parade. The store also gives the south end of Bridge Street a grocery stop on the same street the parade uses.
The season's sign-ups run through one office. Booth forms for the tree lighting and entry forms for the parade are both handled at the Chamber, 30 W. Winnemucca Blvd., 775-623-2225. Tree donations for the Festival of Trees go to the Lions Club.
If your ranch, shop or family is building a float for Dec. 12, we'd like to see it on Bridge Street. Questions about land or homes around Humboldt County can wait until after the holidays. When you're ready, Kimberlie Buffington and the team at Nolan Realty are a call away at our Battle Mountain office.
