Peddler's Village moved its whole November calendar back about a week this year, and December didn't follow. The Apple Festival, the Grand Illumination and the Holiday Kickoff Weekend all landed later than in 2025. Holly Jolly Weekend actually comes one day earlier. That leaves a shorter run from the night the lights go on to the Santa parades, with Thanksgiving dinner in the middle.
If your family has a set Lahaska routine, this year's dates matter more than usual. Here's what changed, in the order you'll hit it.
November Moved Later. December Moved a Day Earlier.
The Village's 2025 events preview and its current 2026 calendar give the clearest side-by-side.
| Event | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Festival | November 1–2 | November 7–8 |
| Grand Illumination | Friday, November 14 | Friday, November 20 |
| Holiday Kickoff Weekend | November 14–16 | November 20–22 |
| Holly Jolly Weekend | December 6–7 | December 5–6 |
| Holly Jolly Santa parades | 1:30 p.m. | Noon |
Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, six days after the lights go on. Last year, 22 days separated the Grand Illumination from the first Holly Jolly parade. This year it's 15.
So each stop on the holiday circuit sits closer to the next one. Missing one weekend costs you more than it used to, because the next event comes around sooner.
The Apple Festival Lands a Week Later, and the Weather Already Cost a Sunday
The Apple Festival runs Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Food and attractions are pay-as-you-go, and some vendors take cash only. The Village expects parking to be in high demand. It suggests arriving early, carpooling or taking an Uber. VIP parking is also available, but sales close at 2 p.m. the day before, or sooner if it sells out.
The Bucks County Courier Times listed what last year's festival offered: Solebury Orchards cider, apple fritters, doughnuts and pies, plus live music, specialty apple drinks and a pie-eating contest. That was the 2025 lineup, so this year's vendors may differ.
Plan for both days rather than counting on one. The Village's last two-day festival, the 10th annual OctoberFeast on October 10 and 11, lost half its run. Its event page now reads:
"On Sunday, October 11: Due to the anticipated severe weather, all activities, entertainment, and outdoor food will be canceled."
The page goes on to say the event won't be rescheduled. Shops and restaurants kept normal hours, the restaurants are serving German-themed specials all month, and anyone who bought VIP parking is getting a refund. If the forecast for November 7 looks shaky, Saturday is the safer pick.
The fall displays are almost done for this year. According to that same page, the 47th annual Scarecrows in the Village runs through October 25. The main festivals calendar lists October 26. Either way, the weekend of October 24 and 25 is your last chance. Trunk or Treat follows on Friday, October 30.
The Gingerbread Display Has About Two Fewer Weeks
The tighter calendar matters most for the Gingerbread Competition & Display. The display opens November 20 and admission is free. Public entries are due Wednesday, November 11, just three days after the Apple Festival wraps. If someone at your house plans to enter, the build has to happen while the apple pies are still on the counter.
The display's closing date also moved earlier. The event listing says January 9, 2027, but the text on that page, along with the Grand Illumination and Holly Jolly pages, says January 10. In a Courier Times photo gallery, last year's display ran from November 14 to January 17. That's six days later at the start and a week earlier at the end, which adds up to roughly two fewer weeks for anyone who saves the gingerbread walk for the quiet days after New Year's.
It's still a big show. The Bucks County Herald counted more than 100 creations in 2025, entered in Traditional, Holly Jolly, Incredibly Unusual 3-D Creation and a new category, "Nostalgic Lights and Silent Nights." The Courier Times gallery shows that the top Professional entry last year was "Candy Cane Lane 'Mostly Unproductive' Workshop."
Grand Illumination, Six Days Before Thanksgiving
The 26th annual Grand Illumination falls on Friday, November 20, from 4:30 to 10 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and shops stay open until 10 p.m. Here's how the Village has laid out the evening:
- 4:30 p.m. The show opens with local music and dance performers.
- 5:30 p.m. This is the Village's recommended latest arrival time if you want to see the ceremony, since parking can fill up.
- 6:15 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus switch on the lights, which the Village says starts "at 6:15 p.m. sharp."
- Until 10 p.m. Shops stay open for the first night of Holiday Kickoff Weekend.
The Village also suggests leaving dogs at home that night because the pathways get crowded.
Last year's evening shows what to expect on the roads. Patch reported in November 2025 that officers from Buckingham and Solebury townships would direct traffic. Police warned of delays and intermittent closures on Route 202, Route 263 and Street Road from about 3:30 to 9:30 p.m., and said vehicles parked in violation of no-parking signs or barricades could be ticketed or towed. Those were 2025 arrangements. This year, the event falls on the Friday that kicks off Thanksgiving week, so some of the crowd may already be in town visiting family.
The lights stay up every evening through January 18, 2027, according to the Grand Illumination page. The Holiday Kickoff page says January 19. If guests are still in town after New Year's, the lights should still be on, but the gingerbread display may already be gone.
Two Shops Get Their First Holiday Season
Holiday Kickoff Weekend runs November 20 through 22. Shops are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, with free admission and parking. According to the Grand Illumination page, each shop offers refreshments that weekend.
Two of those shops are new to the Village this year, so this will be their first Kickoff:
- Bucks Bespokery is a specialty stationery shop that the Village announced as a new flagship. It held its grand opening March 28–29.
- Bucks County Peanut Butter Shoppe is shop #43 in the Village Green neighborhood. Patch called it the Village's newest specialty food store, and it held its grand opening June 27–28.
A stationery shop and a specialty food shop both make sense for holiday shopping, and both get to try it in a season that's a week shorter than last year's.
Holly Jolly Comes Two Weeks Later
Holly Jolly Weekend is December 5 and 6, so it's the only major event on the calendar that didn't move later. Santa parades start at noon both days, along with live entertainment and family activities. Admission and parking are free. The Herald's coverage of last season listed the parades at 1:30 p.m. If you got there after lunch last year and found a good spot on the curb, this year you'll arrive after the parade is over.
The Holly Jolly page also asks visitors not to park in the surrounding residential neighborhoods. That matters for anyone who lives near Routes 202 and 263. The weekend now comes just two weeks after the Illumination crowd, not three.
Put it together and the 2026 season runs like this: apples on November 7–8, gingerbread entries due November 11, lights on November 20, turkey on November 26, a noon parade on December 5 and the gingerbread display closing around January 10. For more on the area, our Bucks County neighborhood page covers the surrounding towns, and our recent look at New Hope's fall storefront comebacks is just up the road.
We follow the Bucks County calendar closely because many of our sellers time their plans around it. If you're thinking about listing in the new year, the weeks the lights are up are a good time to find out where your home stands. Witt Real Estate Group can give you a free home valuation before the holiday rush starts, so you'll have a clear plan by the time the lights come down in January.
