The Cambria Christmas Market is back for the holidays. Get a sneak peek inside
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The six-acre Christmas Market at Cambria Pines Lodge has 3 million lights and much more.
- Market features 48 artisan booths, Santa house, mini train ride, biergarten and music.
- Tickets $27-$45 per date; attendance at busy market caps at 3,000 nightly.
The six-acre top of a forested hillside near downtown Cambria is all dressed up for the season again, because as of Friday, the festive annual Christmas Market will be back in town.
It’s the 14th year for the Cambria Pines Lodge’s interpretation of classical European Christmas markets.
This one is decorated with more than 3 million sparkling, twinkling, mesmerizing lights, approximately the same as last year’s tally. The illuminations surround the Market’s immersive walkabout path that’s laced with artistic, oversized ornaments, scenes, figures, dioramas and more.
Beside all those lights, among the Market’s features are a German-inspired artisan vendor market, Santa and his house, rides on a miniature train, cozy fire pits, live music and a biergarten serving various foods and beverages.
Among traditional things sold at some of the 48 Market vendor booths are nutcrackers, hand-carved incense smokers, hand-blown glass ornaments and more. There are traditional, holiday treats like lebkuchenherzen (gingerbread hearts), stollen (fruit bread) and roasted nuts.
Other food and drink are sold at the Market and the Lodge.
What’s the Cambria Christmas Market like?
Some say walking along the Market’s looping, open-air path is like being inside an extended, elaborate snow globe — just without the snow. A round trip on it is almost 2 miles long.
Asked about any debuting displays this year, marketing specialist Jessica Dantzer was tight-lipped.
“We like to keep those a surprise! Part of the magic is guests discovering what’s new when they arrive,” she said.
When pressed, she did mention that attendees should watch for a new “Under the Sea” and “Santa’s Reindeer,” among other additions.
Some who’ve had a sneak peek at this year’s Market say they really enjoyed the “12 Days of Christmas” display, with its lights and motorized dioramas that synch with holiday music.
They also were impressed by decorated, life-sized figures representing Christmas traditions from Saint Nick to Krampus, each with displays detailing their mythology.
An always, can’t-miss-it feature is the traditional, 200-foot-long light arch that wraps incoming guests within a long rainbow tunnel lit up by wide bands of 10,000 Christmas lights.
What to know about Cambria Christmas Market before going
On most nights between Nov. 28 and Dec. 31, the event spreads its well-lit joy into the Monterey pine forest that surrounds the Lodge at 2905 Burton Drive.
Other nights, the market goes dark, but the holiday lights do not. Those visits to the light show are available only to Lodge guests, however.
You can buy tickets for guests age 6 and older at cambriachristmasmarket.com/tickets. Prices, which vary depending on the date, range from $27 to $45 each. The popular market’s county permit limits attendance to 3,000 per night, with tickets valid only for a specific date.
Market gates open at 5 p.m. with no entry after 8:30 p.m. The market closes at 9 p.m. Usually, crowds are lighter early and late. Guests should allow themselves at least an hour to see the lights, open-air stalls, performances and more.
Visitors are reminded to dress warmly, which is especially important for late visits and anytime during the short wait for a free shuttle ride that takes them from one of several parking areas to the Market and then back to their vehicles.
Go to cambriachristmasmarket.com/parking for parking details.
The shuttle lots open at 4:30 p.m. The first shuttle arrives at 4:45 p.m. The last shuttle to the event leaves the offsite parking lots at 8:15 p.m. The last shuttle from the event to the offsite parking lots leaves at 9:15 p.m.
For further details, call 800-966-6490, email questions or log onto the Market’s website, Tik Tok, Facebook or Instagram pages.
This story was originally published November 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
